


Every Planet, Every Star

by Tangerine_Catnip



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Barely Legal Rhys, Bloodplay, Canon-Typical Violence, Collars, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Knives, M/M, Post Borderlands 2 Jack wins AU, Science Fiction, Weddings, diplomatic marriage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-14 20:51:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 49,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5758381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangerine_Catnip/pseuds/Tangerine_Catnip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>King Handsome Jack of Pandora has power and a ludicrous amount of money. Prince Rhys is the heir to an interplanetary empire that would cement Jack's place as one of the most powerful men to ever live. Perhaps they might be able to come to an arrangement?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Farmer and the Viper

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to my partner in crime Lovova for editing/beta reading for me and encouraging me shamelessly.

 

> "You wanna know why I'm trying to awaken the Warrior? Because it's not enough. This disgusting planet, these stupid, stupid frickin' bandits I defeated how many years ago - it's not enough. I want it all. Every planet, every star. Call me old-fashioned, but being a god sounds like a hell of a lot of fun."
> 
> \- Handsome Jack, Borderlands 2.

It's not every day a new member joins the Inter-galactic union. Well, even that's putting it lightly. Fact is there hasn't been a new entry into the union in several earth centuries.

Like all truly massive things, multi-planet empires tended to move slowly. So any major restructuring or revolution could take up to ten lifetimes before the changes were reflected in the attendance of the galactic court.

The hushed voices and tension in the air was palpable as Prince Rhys of the Athenian empire followed his father through the long hallways towards the assembly chamber; past the lesser nobles and dignitaries that saw fit to travel to the council chambers with their emperor, despite not being invited into the meeting itself.

The fact that the Pandorian empire was gaining admission to the council at all was probably the biggest source of gossip. The new empire was only a few years old and only consisted of two inhabited planets: Pandora itself and its satellite, Elpis. It was hardly an empire, even if you did consider the 4.5 million inhabitants of the Moonbase "Helios" orbiting between the two.

Rumors were flying about the kind of strings that must have been pulled to allow the King of Pandora to gain a foothold in the council so quickly, and how many of those strings were in the shape of nooses.

That was the other thing about the King of Pandora. He had reputations like most people have outfits in their wardrobes. Opinions were so mixed, that every single one of the leaders in the council had their official sentiments on the man written down and freely available as governmental documentation.

Dictator, Mass Murderer, Tyrant, Hero, Savior, Father of Civilization, Pop star, Celebrity, Mascot, Legend, CEO… Rhys could spend a whole hour reciting all the names the 'King of Pandora' was called.

At this point it didn't even matter what anyone thought about him. What mattered is that they thought about him frequently, and never without emotion. That alone gave him more power than even Rhys' father, the Commander-In-Chief of the largest naval force this side of the milky way and an emperor with a planet count ten times the size of Pandora and its little moon.

It was kind of impressive if Rhys was honest with himself. Every day of his life he was training to be a public figure. Someone whom people would look up to. Someone who could rally a vast number of citizens together in troubled times and lead them to future prosperity. Rhys had gotten good at it. He could give a halfway decent speech, knew how to look people in the eyes and smile; but he hadn't a fraction of the natural magnetism of the King of Pandora.

At the end of the hallway, the Galactic Council guards were waiting beside a hover pod decorated lavishly in the red and gold of the Athenian Empire. Rhys and his father were set to match, in specially tailored dress uniforms with red sashes and shoulder pads decorated with golden tassels in the shape of olive leaves.

It was a little hard to breath in the coat Rhys was wearing, which was just a little too stiff around the chest area. Presumably it made him look regal through forced posture, or maybe the discomfort was supposed to help keep him awake through the long and boring council meetings. If so, it was succeeding beautifully in the first intention and only just barely getting him by in the second.

Rhys looked over at Sasha. Giving her and the rest of his personal bodyguard a nod as a signal to stand down. She flashed him back a thumps up. Her decorum was sorely lacking at moments, but she made up for it by being a crack shot. Plus, maybe a little bit of personal favor from the Prince.

Rhys sat in the smaller of the two thrones in the hover pod. The pod was roughly the shape of a tin bathtub and just big enough for the two seats. Once Emperor and Prince were seated a translucent barrier shield sparked into life, sealing the two of them off from the outside world.

The precaution might have been a touch overkill, but when all the most important people in the Milky Way galaxy were in one room, it was hard to argue things were too safe. That, and it stopped arguments from devolving into fist fights.

In separate parts of the council chamber the other leaders were settling down in their respective pods. While they waited, Rhys pulled up the ECHO screen built into the palm of his right hand.

All of his news feeds were taken up by coverage of the galactic summit and about 79% of it was about Pandora. There was also a text from Sasha's sister Fiona asking if he could get the King's autograph at the celebratory ball being hosted on Helios after the new empire's official induction.

Rhys knew for a fact Fiona was probably going to action it off on the ECHO net the second she got it, but he texted her back anyway, promising he would try. Emphasis on the word 'try' since the Pandorian King would probably be swamped all evening with admirers and invites to discuss new alliances. The presence of new blood in the galactic court would always attract the sharks.

The help of the Pandorian Empire, and more crucially its state run weapons manufacture, Hyperion, could be the tipping point for many long-time military stalemates. Rhys would not be surprised if this time next cycle, the number of leaders in the court would have shrunken by two or five.

The floor jerked under Rhys' seat and slowly the hover pod rose into the air. The metal doors above their heads opened and the pod leapt into the air. The on-board computer piloted them with pin-point accuracy. Up, then sideways, then settling into place mid-air.

The rest of the pods were ascending. Each settling into a pre-selected patch of airspace and forming a loose horseshoe around the center platform. Should the hover pods ever fail, there was only a ten-foot drop to the floor of the chamber. The dip was enough to make the room look rather imposing though, and Rhys imagined that if he had only ever seen the cavernous room of the council chamber on the ECHO-net he would have been suitably impressed.

Each pod bore the colors and flag of the empire they represented. It wasn't quite a rainbow; too much red, blue, gold (and a few colors outside his visible spectrum) for that. Still, it was striking all the same.

You only had to glance at the formation of the pods to see the pecking order. The closer to the front row you were, the more important you were. The Athenian empire had held its front seat since Rhys' grandfather's grandfather, and they were one of four human representatives among the five front row empires.

Despite sharing a race, the human empires didn't always see eye to eye. The colony ships that had left earth had splintered off, then evolution and separation had seen to making the differences between them strong enough to demand individual identities.

Priestess Eve of the Eden system sat to the left of the Athenians. Then to the right were the Mongols, the Ottomans, and the Macedonians. Old names preserved from their shared origins on earth.

As more pods filled in, it became increasingly clear many of the leaders nearer the back rows were missing. No one had to ask why. It was a symbolic protest against the hasty induction of Pandora into the fold. Many of the smaller empires had spent centuries working to earn the right to be part of the council, and seeing such a small empire succeed after only a few short years of existence must have been downright insulting.

Once all who were coming had arrived, the double doors on the far side of the council chamber whirred open. A bridge to the center platform extended and the Secretary-General of the Galactic Council stepped out into the chamber. Everyone present waited in hushed silence as he made his way to the podium bearing the insignia of the council. A stylized picture of The Milky Way.

Rhys rested his head in his robotic hand as the opening speech washed over him. He pulled up the agenda of the speakers with his ECHO eye, checking to see when the part they were all waiting for would happen.

Sadly, it looked like Pandora was last on the list for today. Speaking of, where was their newest member. Rhys looked around. Trying to pick out that particular shade of yellow and the slanted H of the Hyperion logo.

The sound of shoes on metal drew Rhys' attention to the bridge connecting the chamber doors to the podium.

And there he was. The King of Pandora.

It seemed disingenuous to call what Jack was doing walking. Prowling was closer, but there was also a lot of strutting going on as well.

His clothing was downright shocking. He looked every bit the King of a planet full of dust, loose ethics, and violence.

While the rest of the leaders wore suits, uniforms, and jewel incrusted gowns. He had on a yellow sweater, a very loose white shirt under a leather vest, and a gray jacket on top. All of the layers were rolled up to his elbows, exposing burly forearms and a blue tattoo encircling his right wrist.

By far the most scandalous feature of his outfit was the leather holster on his right leg and the pistol very clearly resting there. Inside of a secure facility. That alone was an outrage that would result in a total restructure of council safety protocols.

With every step the overlong shirt swayed out behind him like the tail of a predatory bird, giving his already imposing presence a thoroughly unneeded boost.

The Secretary-General stopped as Jack approached. Shocked into silence by his presence.

Jack closed his hand around the lapels of the Secretary-General and firmly pushed him away from the podium, taking up the spot instead. He tapped the microphone to check it was on and leaned in. A massive smile formed on the lips of the skin-tight mask that covered his face.

"Heya, kiddos! I probably don't have to introduce myself, but I suppose I'll do it anyway. You know, for the record and shit like that."

The Secretary-General made frantic motions towards Jack, as if he could somehow convince him to stop and wait his turn. A few of the Galactic Council guards appeared at the door but the Secretary-General waved them off. The scene that would be required to get King Jack away from the microphone was decidedly not worth it.

"I'm Handsome Jack. Leader of the Hyperion Corporation, fearsome bandit killer, and as of this moment ruler of the brand new, and totally badass, Pandorian Empire! I'm still working on the crown, I mean when you're working with a masterpiece like this you have to find the prefect frame to match, you know what I'm saying?"

He paused, expecting applause, maybe nods of sympathy for his fashion related troubles? But all he received was blank stares.

"Annnnnnyway, I know some of you decided to abstain from this council meeting, and before I start my speech, I just wanted to let all those who didn't show today know that, I, generous and merciful leader that I am, forgive them. I know I can be intimidating. I mean, how many Emperors have slain a vault monster with their bare hands? Probably not a lot, especially none of you squares, but the point is, I understand, and I won't be holding it against you when I'm sitting in the front row of this little clubhouse of yours."

Jack's hungry eyes ran over the pods sitting in the front row, making eye contact with each of the occupants one by one. Rhys expected the stare at his father, but then Jack failed to skip over the younger Prince and Rhys suddenly found himself meeting his blue and green eyes.

Rhys felt like an internal wire had just snapped, cutting off the electrical impulses to his heart and making it stop cold in his chest. It only lasted for a second, but that was more than long enough to shake Rhys to his core and set off a strange tightness in his abdomen.

If Jack had noticed him flinching, he gave no indication before gracing Priestess Eve with his attention. Well, mostly her chest area, but close enough.

"Okay, now that's out of the way, I'll be brief. Thank you all for allowing me into your illustrious fold and yadda, yadda, yadda, I promise to uphold the rights and freedoms of all citizens and all that bull-crap."

Jack paused to tap two fingers against the right side of his temple. Attempting to prompt himself.

"What am I missing… Oh yeah! See, things are going to be different from now on. This little game of chess y'all are playing up here is cute and all, but I think it's only fair to warn you that you guys have a big ass storm coming, and its name is Handsome Fucking Jack."

"What is this meaning of this! How dare you threaten us!"

The fairly portly Emperor of a cluster of planets in the Tarsus System rose to his feet, even as his wife tried to pull him back down into his seat. Jack's full attention turned on him

"Me? Threatening? Absolutely not. Think of this more as an open invitation. Or better yet, a ground floor investment in what will soon become the greatest galactic empire in the history of the universe!"

"It's super simple, kids. You're either with me, or against me. And to be honest, I wouldn't wish being against me on my own grandmother, and I really, really, reeeeeeeally, hate my grandmother."

Jack laughed at his own joke; the sound made the hairs on Rhys human arm stand on end.

"So, if anyone needs to talk to me, I'll be hosting one hell of a shindig on Helios tonight. So be there, or face my wrath. Chao."

Jack pushed off from the podium and left just as abruptly as he arrived, waving a hand above his head like he was dismissing the other galactic leaders, as if they had all gathered just to see him.

"Absolutely intolerable..." Rhys' father muttered.

"Oh, come on dad, he's just being an overdramatic rock star. It's not like he actually means any of it." Rhys replied with a shrug.

Everyone with half a brain knew that most of the empires in this room had nothing to fear from a new King, his single planet, and its satellites. But you sure as hell wouldn't know that, judging by the expressions on the faces of the occupants of the council chamber. They looked shaken, and all it had taken was a good entrance and a whole boatload of confidence.

While he would never admit it out loud, but Rhys admired the new king a lot more than even he was comfortable with. Vaughn always found it hilarious how a prince could have celebrity crushes just like a normal person. Even though Rhys had repeatedly pointed out that just because he theoretically could get the attention of his object of affection he probably still shouldn't.

The fact that Jack and he would be coming into contact with one another regardless of what he did made it a tiny bit more complicated. Rhys would just have to hope he got over it before he actually had to deal with jack face to face.

"Were you planning on going to that party he mentioned?" Rhys' father asked cutting his son's musings short.

Rhys flinched, sensing what was coming next.

"Um…"

"You are not to attend, is that clear?"

"Yes, Dad ."

* * *

 

Rhys paced from one side of his bed chamber to the other. Working off his excess energy so he could think clearly. Vaughn was sitting on his bed, watching the Prince and snacking on a bowl of popcorn he had the maids bring up from the kitchen.

Vaughn always got something when he came to visit Rhys, mostly so he could never be accused of not taking advantage of being the best friend of a Prince.

"So, what's the plan?" Vaughn asked.

"What makes you think there's a plan?"

"Well if there wasn't going to be a plan, then we would already be in our pajamas, and I would be beating you to all the legendary loot in Edgeworld while eating an entire tub of consolatory ice cream."

Rhys had to admit it was pretty solid detective work on Vaughn's part.

"Alright, you caught me. Sasha and Fiona should be here soon."

As if summoned by their names, the double doors of Rhys' room opened and the two woman spilled forth. Both were wearing royal guard armor. Which was perfectly normal for Sasha, but unusual for Fiona who normally wore the red and gold uniform of the palace administration staff. The armor didn't quite fit her since it was Sasha's spare set, but it was shiny enough to fool a casual observer. Especially with the gold embossed double headed eagle on their breastplate drawing the eye.

It had been in this very room eight years ago that he had first met the then fifteen-year-old spunky brunette with the dyed streak of fire in her hair. She had somehow managed to break into the palace and had ducked into the Prince's bedroom for cover from a passing patrol.

Unluckily for her, the Prince had woken up and found her digging around in his sock drawer. Luckily for her, Rhys had seen her torn clothing and dirt covered skin from a childhood on the streets, and resolved to give the budding thief a proper education and a stable home life.

Or at least that's what Rhys said when he was asked to tell the story. If you asked Fiona, she would tell you all about the huge puppy eyes Rhys gave her as he gushed over how cool she looked in her wall climbing gear and how bad he wanted to be friends with her so she could show him how it was done.

It's up to you who's side of the story you believe.

While their official titles were royal guard and royal secretary, as far as the girls (and the emperor himself) were concerned, their real job was acting as external moral compasses for the spoiled Prince, as well as companions that eased a rather lonely upbringing behind the white stone walls of the Acropolis.

Two guards and one companion was a little small for a royal entourage, but Rhys was limited to only those he trusted not to tell his father what they were up to. So it would have to do.

"So, are you guys ready to go or what?" Sasha asked.

"Almost, just let me…."

Rhys popped over to his dresser to collect his golden crown from a satin pillow. He paused in front of the full length mirror. He was wearing the traditional formal attire of the Athenian nobility. A black tunic layered under a black wrapping with gold glow-wire patterned trim. The cloak wrapped twice around his body and was pinned on his right shoulder with a gold broach in the shape of the two headed eagle.

Lucky Vaughn got to attend in a perfectly respectable suit, but Rhys was duty bound to represent the high culture of his Empire. Even if this wasn't exactly an officially sanctioned visit.

He placed the crown on his head, settling it into place on top of his short brown hair.

"so how do I look?" Rhys asked.

"like you got lost on your way to a frat party. So I'd say prefect." Sasha replied with a grin.

* * *

 

Getting to the shuttle bay was the easy part. While he was walking with confidence, and with two royal guards at his back, no one dared question the young Prince about his attire.

However, the shuttle bay guards would know that no ships were scheduled to leave this evening. He could bluff his way past by insisting he wanted to go out on a joyride, but then they would have to log the journey in the ship manifest. At that point, Rhys might as well tape a note saying 'I'm going to Handsome Jacks party, suck it loser' on his father's office door for how easy it would be for the Emperor to find out what he had been up to.

The four friends crouched down behind the last corner leading to the shuttle bay. There were just two guards standing post on either side of the door.

"So what's the plan?" Vaughn repeated. Since he hadn't exactly received an answer the last time he had asked.

Rhys looked at Fiona at the exact moment she turned to face him, resulting in a few moments of awkward staring before it became clear that neither of them had thought this far ahead.

"Seriously?" Sasha asked, raising her eyebrows at both of them. "We have an ex-con artist and a future Emperor and neither of you have a plan?"

Rhys cringed a little, but Fiona just shrugged.

Sasha produced a small device from the leather combat belt that separated the top half of her armor from the bottom half.

"You guys are so lucky I have friends in secret intelligence" Sasha quipped, before tossing the tiny device down the long hallway. It hit the far wall a few feet away from the shuttle bay doors.

The tiny clink drew the attention of the guards for a moment, but seeing no further disturbance, they didn't bother moving from their posts.

"So, um... was that supposed to do something?" Vaughn asked.

"Just wait for it."

After about a half minute the scent of freshly baked cookies started drifting down the hallway. Classic chocolate chip flavor to boot. It made Rhys' mouth water, even though he knew it was artificial.

Both guards started shifting on their feet. They looked at each other, and then to the door they were guarding. You could practically see the mental calculations happening as they realized that if they went together the other couldn't report them for taking a quick break to go investigate the source of the smell.

Slowly, and watching each other closely, the two guards walked away. As soon as the door to the next hallway closed behind them, the four friends dashed out of hiding and through the shuttle bay doors.

"What was that, a cookie grenade? Is that really a top secret intelligence project?" Rhys asked.

"Hey, you can't say they don't work" Sasha replied.

Rhys' personal cruiser was near the back of the shuttle bay. It had been a birthday present from his father and it looked like the love child of a limo and a fighter jet. Flashy, all angles and aerodynamics, with four wings layered one above the other on both sides. It was painted pure black, aside from the flag of Athens on its tail fin. The doors opened with a signal from Rhys' ECHO eye and the four friends piled inside and onto the leather upholstery.

Even though it was technically his ship, Rhys had never bothered to get his own pilots license. As his favorite bodyguard, Sasha was always with him and Sasha loved flying.

She made her way up and into the driver's seat, reclining into the memory foam padding and activating the seat heating.

"-and how's my baby doing? Did you miss me?" Sasha cooed, giving the dashboard a loving pat. The driver's seat rose up into position under the domed glass window and the steering wheel sprung up into her waiting hands. The ship might not actually be alive to reply to her, but Sasha knew it had missed her in its own special way.

"The party is supposed to start in like an hour right?" she asked.

"Yes, but seeing as we are traveling with a Prince, I think we can afford to be a little fashionably late." Fiona replied.

"I bet I can totally make it" Sasha said, giving no indication she had heard her sister as she turned on the orbital escape engines. The craft around them shuddered and stirred like a mythical dragon rising from its long slumber, getting ready to take to the air.

The other three occupants of the ship reached for their seatbelts.

* * *

 

Athens stretched out below them as Rhys' ship cut through the atmosphere. As the capital of an empire, the city nearly covered a full quarter of the total landmass of the planet Attica. From far away, it looked as if the planet was suffering from a spreading rash of white buildings that was creeping ever further across it with each passing year.

The nearest inhabitable planet to Attica was Ainis, an aquaculture and agriculture planet several solar systems away. Because of the rarity of inhabitable planets, galactic empires tended to stretch over distances of space that were simply inconceivable to a human mind.

It was kind of scary when Rhys stopped to think about it. How one day he would be in control of something so indescribably bigger then himself. Twenty planets, 14,000 light-years of distance and Trillions of lives.

Rhys wasn't even sure if he could remember all the names of the planets if he didn't have an inbuilt glossy in his ECHO eye to remind him. Never mind keeping track of the needs and wants of his citizens.

Still, as of this moment, it wasn't his problem. Right now he was a Prince, he was going to a party with other very important people, and he was going to have an illegal amount of fun. He could stress about ruling once it was actually his job.

Sasha hit the inter-cluster transporter in good time, and to her credit, very nearly made the hour goal she had set when Pandora finally appeared on the horizon. The planet was cloaked in a halo of white light. The typical deep blue oceans offset by vast tracts of desert and one or two spots of dense forest.

Rhys had never seen a border planet this close up before. Typically, it took a while for civilization to properly set in and by that point the natural beauty of the planet had long started to drain away.

Then Rhys noticed the gigantic purple hole in the rock near the South Pole. The first visible indication that the planet was being put to use. Though Pandora probably had many more scars she was hiding.

Past the hulking form of the planet was the inhabited moonscape of Elpis and the orbiting Helios space station. Two twin towers fastened together in the middle to form a gigantic H.

"You know, it's pretty lucky that Hyperion doesn't start with like a W or something or this would look weird" Rhys said.

"I think It looks pretty weird as it is. It really screams self-obsessed and probably evil" Fiona replied.

"You see that glowing thing in the middle?" Vaughn chimed in, sitting forward in his seat to point at the large glowing center of the massive H. "I read all about that. It's called the eye of Helios. It can fire mortar bombardments at practically any part of Pandora or deliver supplies or reinforcements with prefect precision."

"So, it's a gigantic death canon." Fiona replied flatly.

"Yeah, but like, a crazy awesome gigantic death canon."

The conversation was cut to a sudden halt as a female voice came though over the inter-ship communicator. The dashboard mounted computer screen flashed with the insignia of the transmitting party. A stylized angel with huge flowing wings and a halo adorning the curved silhouette of a woman.

"Helios paging cruiser IVXI-Beta, please identify yourself and state your purpose for requesting docking."

Sasha pressed her finger to the touchscreen, turning on the microphone to give her reply. Her tone just as clipped as the robotic voice on the other end of the line. Her royal guard voice.

"We're carrying Prince Rhys of the Athenian Empire on route to Handsome Jack's party."

"Is his excellency Emperor Amyntas, on board as well?"

"Why do they want to know that?" Fiona asked, safe in the knowledge that if Sasha wasn't touching the button they couldn't be heard.

"I'm pretty sure we don't have to answer that. As it is, we should have brought more than one ship. You shouldn't go around announcing where your leaders are so they can be targeted" Sasha replied.

Rhys raised his eyebrows at Sasha, who had her arms folded over her chest and was frowning.

"I think all that royal guard training is finally making you paranoid" Rhys said with a laugh. "We can argue all day about Hyperion being evil jerks, but no one would risk the wrath of the Athenian Navy to get a cheap shot at the royal family. Also, dad might not notice one ship missing, but two would have set off some alarms."

The robotic voice came over the speakers again.

"Scratch that IVXI-Beta, we just received confirmation of your invitation, please make your way to terminal 16 for disembarkment."

Sasha uncrossed her arms and took the wheel.

"Rodger that-" she paused to check the listed name of her correspondent. "-Guardian Angel, heading to docking point."

* * *

 

In order to maintain appearances, Fiona and Sasha donned their matching helmets as they disembarked and walked half a step behind Rhys. While Vaughn tried his best to match the aristocratic bearing his friend was born into.

Rhys recognized many of the faces loitering around the expensive ships and chatting idly as they waited for the right moment to introduce themselves to the party.

Most of the ships docked in terminal 16 were big enough to require permanent on-board staff, and by the look of the crowds hovering around, the most important of the guests had brought their entire courts.

Priestess Eve had brought a whole convent of nuns with her. Each dressed in white robes with pink sashes and habits that covered their eyes behind pointed cowls.

Rhys looked back at his three friends. He would just have to hope his small group came off as him being too important to bother showing off. After all, the Athenians had nothing to prove and how big his entourage was at a party was hardly going to make it into the history books when there were several galactic wars to cover.

The Hyperion security team watched them as they stepped into the elevator leading up from the docking bay. It had been reprogramed to shuffle guests directly from the shuttle ports to the ballroom the party was taking place in.

When the elevator doors opened the foursome found themselves rooted to the spot, too shocked to remember this was the part where they had to walk out.

Rhys' first thought was that they had somehow been transported off the space station and into some kind of tropical rainforest, but then he looked all the way up and spotted the huge glass dome arching above them and the star-scape beyond.

Fiona was the first to recover and gently elbowed her Prince until he remembered how his legs worked. Rhys stepped forward, feeling the ground give way under his feet. It looked like grass, but on close inspection there wasn't any dirt underneath and each blade of grass was just too perfectly green to be real.

The smell though, that could only be real fauna, and the room was hot like a greenhouse, so the plants could grow.

The climate control system had been set to mimic night time, fitting the stars overhead. Most of the light came from flaming torches set along the paths guests walked between clearings in the threes. To the left was a five tier ceramic fountain flowing with a dark red wine and a buffet of gourmet foods. Each served up in tiny portions so you could sample all the different offerings.

To the right was a raised stage where a troupe of female dancers were preforming a burlesque routine that was just enough on the right side of tasteful to get a pass among refined company. Though, Rhys suspected anyone who was that stuck up wouldn't have accepted handsome Jack's invitation in the first place.

"So, your majesty…" Fiona started, her attention very obviously focused on the chocolate fountain standing next to the one pouring whine. "Will you be needing our services from this point onward?"

Rhys laughed and clapped his hands.

"No. I think I can handle myself. You two are dismissed."

The sisters gave him near identical eye rolls and started drifting towards the food.

Rhys turned to Vaughn and gave his best friend a huge grin.

"Guess it's just us bros for now. Where do we start first?"

* * *

 

Some of the many attractions dotted about the massive bio-dome included recreational drugs, high stakes gambling, ballroom dancing, many secluded and comfortable grottos for romantic recreation, and a huge lagoon where guests were encouraged to skinny dip.

Despite his inherent wealth, Rhys had really only heard about parties like this in his history holograms. His father was far too practical to even think about spending this much money on an event, not when it could be used to buy another cruiser to sail alongside his massive spaceship carriers.

The two friends ended up sticking close for most of the evening. Both because Vaughn wasn't really good at talking to new people and because their fellow guests didn't exactly lend themselves to casual conversation.

Rhys could tell pretty quick that most of his contemporaries were focusing on business tonight. That would probably explain why he hadn't seen any trace of their gracious host since arriving (if you didn't count the gigantic golden statue of him in the center of the garden, anyway).

He also hadn't seen Priestess Eve since the shuttle port, which was not surprising in the least. She was always a prime candidate for alliances. The peace and prosperity of her Eden planets were legendary, but part of that prosperity came from a strict moral code that made her notoriously hard to negotiate with. Such alliances always required all of her allies to convert to her religion and pay tribute to her god.

The Ottoman Empire was probably the second most attractive, a good balance of military and natural resources, if a bit on the stagnant side as far as growth was concerned. Of course the Athenians would be better, since the protection they could grant with their navy was second to none. but seeing as Rhys' father had decided to abstain himself, he probably had no intentions of working with Pandora in the future.

Rhys thought it was kind of stupid, not allying because of political differences was one thing, but judging a whole Kingdom by the antics of their leader seemed like a bit much. Especially when Jack hadn't even had his first anniversary in power yet.

Rhys had never looked too deep into it, but the cliff notes version of Pandora's history was that Jack had spent most of his career up to this point taming the fearsome planet. The transition to galactic politics after shooting bandits in the face for years was probably going to take more than tossing a crown on his head.

Soon after Fiona and Sasha had returned from their chocolate-based scouting mission Rhys excused himself to go hunt down fresh drinks. They had found a comfortable spot to rest and people-watch under a fern leaf and he had lost the rock/paper/scissors, tournament to decide who would have to get up.

Rhys still kind of wished his friends never discovered he could use his ECHO eye to read their body language, because now they forced him to close it and it always threw off his timing. Still, he supposed he deserved it for his 3 year winning streak.

As he passed the golden statue, Rhys' eyes scanned over the face of the statue then over to the person standing next to it.

It took another full second for him to realize the statue and the person looked identical. Right down to the clasps holding his mask in place.

Rhys was going to keep walking, but then their eyes met, and politeness stopped him dead in his tracks.

Evidently that crown Handsome Jack had been talking about had finally been perfected enough to suit his tastes, because he was wearing one now. Rhys was expecting gold and diamonds. Something so expensive it looked like it had been pulled strait out of a cartoon. But the circle of metal resting on Jack's gray hair looked like it was made of steel.

Between the pointed spikes where the gems would usually sit, there were glowing purple crystals. Rhys had never seen Eridium be that translucent before; he had to wonder if it was through some kind of refining process or if the mineral very rarely produced samples that glimmered like precious stones.

The front of the crown also bore a pictogram. The tiny Eridium crystals depicting a dragon-like monster with a mane of pointed horns protruding from its head and a pair of stone wings stretching out behind it.

The crown was different to be sure. Fitting too, since Pandora was the only planet in the galaxy that had Eridium and seeing such a stunning example of it would no doubt remind any possible allies what they had to gain.

"Hey, I think I remember you." Jack said by way of introduction, closing the gap between them with two quick steps.

Rhys started to introduce himself but Jack got there first.

"Oh, now I remember. The cute brunette in the front row with the cheekbones. Prince Rhys."

Rhys had to stomp down a little jolt of fire that sparked when jack called him cute. He knew it was meant to be ironic, or at least antagonistic, and it didn't really mean anything.

Jack looked over Rhys shoulder as if he was expecting to see something there.

"Did you lose your Daddy, Pumpkin? I'm not sure an innocent little thing like you should be wandering around on his own in mixed company."

"I'm eighteen actually..." Rhys protested. Though on second thought, whether or not he was technically legal probably wasn't going to dissuade Jack when he was old enough to be Rhys' father.

But Jack just raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Tell me, because I'm honestly curious, does his Emperor-ness of the Athenians know you're here?" Jack asked.

Rhys bit his bottom lip and shook his head no.

"You snuck out then? What a naughty boy!"

Rhys swallowed and gave what he hoped was a nonchalant shrug.

"That's kind of disappointing though, I was hoping to make your father's acquaintance tonight. But I guess if he's not here, you'll just have to do. So, why don't we take a trip up to my office and have a little chat?"

Handsome Jack snatched Rhys' wrist with a swiftness that would have impressed a viper and started walking away with the prince in tow.

"Wa-wait!" Rhys stammered, stumbling as he was forced to start following or risk getting pulled off of his feet. "You... you know I can't really make any major decisions. Or any decisions really... I mean I can ask dad nicely but-"

"That's alright cupcake. I just want to talk." Jack replied without looking back.

They were headed back towards the elevator banks and Rhys just managed to catch the eyes of his friends as he was walked past them. Sasha rose to her feet, but Fiona reached over to stop her. Rhys gave them a wave to let them know he was alright.

When the elevator doors closed behind them Jack dug his thumb into the top button with a glowing yellow HJ inscribed on it. A soft beep came as his fingerprint was recognized, overriding the temporary restrictions on the elevator.

* * *

 

Jacks office had roughly the same proportions as one of the ballrooms in the Acropolis, but with a far nicer view. Rhys was so transfixed by the glowing majesty of Elpis outside the gigantic window he almost tripped himself on the steps leading up to Jack's desk.

King/Emperor handsome Jack (Really either worked. Rhys preferred to think of him as 'King Jack' because it sounded cooler,) sat down in his bright yellow chair behind his desk, shifting his weight back into it and resting his feet on the desk. His heels impacting the flat surface with two hollow thumps.

Rhys knew that Jack had to have owned this chair long before he became a King, but he couldn't help but think of it as a throne. It sure as hell looked more impressive than the dusty old wooden chair that was rolled out for special ceremonies in Athens.

The chair across from Jack's desk was impressive in its own way, with thick plush padding that was soft to the touch, as Rhys discovered when he sat down in it. It had probably been created specifically for cradling the royal butts of possible alliance partners.

"Hey, just as a friendly tip. You might want to get used to looking people in the eyes. All this 'staring at your feet' crap isn't very Emperor-like. Kinda makes you come across like a bitch." Jack pointed out.

Rhys flinched. He had heard that same advice so many times from his tutors he had lost count. He willed himself to shift his gaze up, trying to meet Jack on equal terms. A task made doubly hard by the way his heart started to pound when he looked into those hyper focused eyes.

It was just like back in the Galactic council chamber; it didn't matter one fig that the Athenians had battleships bigger then Pandora's moon when Jack walked and talked like he was a god.

"Cyborg Prince, hun?" Jack continued. His gaze flicking to Rhys' robotic arm and EHCO eye. "So that's legal in your territory? I mean don't get me wrong, I couldn't give less of a shit, but I bet that pisses off Priestess holeyer than thou."

It took a second for Rhys to realize he was talking about Eve. He must have made her acquaintance today if he was already calling her names behind her back. Though that might just be common practice for him.

"It's a tradition actually; I got mine on my fifteenth birthday. When I have my coronation, there's going to be more. Augmentation makes for a better leader, or at least that's the idea. Longer lifespan, superhuman memory, advanced combat ability." Rhys left out the part where he hadn't ever used that last functionality. Nor was he likely to. The days of the Emperor leading the Spartan army into battle were long gone.

"You're right that her holiness disapproves, but she dislikes war even less, so we manage." Rhys finished.

Jack looked bored. Obviously that was not what he had been hoping for.

"-But yeah, Eve is a stuck up cunt." Rhys added. His pulse rate shooting up all over again as he realized he had just insulted one of the most powerful woman in the galaxy, but it was worth it to see the wild smile that crossed King Jack's lips.

"Hell yeah she is! I can drink to that." Jack crowed.

He pressed some buttons on the side of his desk and a lengthways panel slid out with the soft hiss of opening steels. Jack rolled his chair over and snatched a few bottle from the fridge and opened one with his teeth. Rhys tried to read the label but Jack had already finished pouring the amber liquid into two stout whisky glasses. He dropped a perfectly circular ball of ice into each drink and nudged one of the glasses towards Rhys.

"Come on, babe, it will put hair on your chest" Jack said, picking up his own glass and gesturing towards Rhys with it before knocking the whole thing back in one go.

Rhys gingerly picked up his glass while Jack pored a second one for himself. He could smell the alcohol from a whole foot away. He had no doubt whatever was in that glass was the best money could buy, but it would still hurt going down all the same.

He didn't want to wimp out in front of jack though, so he bit the bullet and took a long sip. The overpowering flavor hit the back of his tongue, and Rhys choked, the liquid going down the wrong way and triggering a momentary coughing fit.

Jack watched with raised eyebrows as he took a sip from his second glass.

"Try not to pass out their kiddo; it would be pretty damn funny, but only for a few seconds" Jack said.

He rolled his chair back into place and propped his elbows on his desk. Resting his head on his right hand his glass still held in the other.

Rhys placed his back down half empty pausing to rub some tears from his eyes. A side effect of how strong the drink was.

"So, how much more robot are they going to make you? Do you get a cyber dick as well?" Jack asked suddenly, speaking the thought as soon as it occurred to him.

"W-what!" Rhys stammered, sitting ramrod straight in his chair. "I-I mean no, no I don't. It-it's just the arms and legs mostly. Another eye if I want them to match…"

Rhys didn't even realize he was intentionally looking away, but there was no way in hell Jack was about to let that slide.

"See, what did I just tell you about the eyes thing? Are you always this bad cupcake, or are you just totally awestruck by my presence?"

Rhys jolted and made eye contact with Jack, forgetting to try to compose himself. Jack's mismatched eyes widened around the same time Rhys felt how hot his cheeks had flushed.

"Huh…" Jack said, without inflection. He didn't exactly look surprised. But Rhys could feel the gears turning as Jack digested this new information.

"Hey Rhysie, If I didn't know any better, I'd think you have a little crush on me…"

Rhys was so taken aback he didn't even remember he had a voice to deny it. Jack, on the other hand, hadn't stopped thinking a mile a minute. The attention he had been paying to the young Prince seemed to double. As if he was a mild distraction that had suddenly gotten a hell of a lot more interesting.

"Or maybe, it's you who doesn't know better?" Jack added.

"Uhhh.."

Lucky for Rhys, his training finally kicked in and he realized Jack was intentionally trying to force him off guard by making a claim that Rhys couldn't prove wrong. Even if he denied it, he would just come off like he was too embarrassed to admit to it.

The fact that Jack was 100% correct didn't really matter. But it made it feel worse.

Rhys made a quick mental calculation and decided he might as well try to beat Jack at his own game and maybe score some flattery points while he was at it.

"Maybe I do, but then, so does half the galaxy right? It's kind of your thing." Rhys said with a shrug.

"One of many 'things'" Jack agreed.

Jack ran another of his calculating gazes over the young Prince. Rhys tried to return the gesture but he kept getting caught up in the different colored eyes and his forearms with the asymmetric watch and tattoo.

Coming to a silent conclusion, Jack continued.

"Yeah, you've got the look of a kid that's just starting to untie himself from daddy's apron strings. And now, you're looking for a bad boy that can teach you all about being a rebel without a cause, isn't that right, Kitten?"

Jack laughed and Rhys cringed a bit.

"Aww, that's pretty cute. It's a shame you're so out of your league here-"

Jack cut himself off. Changing his mind halfway through his sentence.

"Actually, scratch that. Why the hell not? I'm in a good mood, and I know this will just complete your little night of rebellion."

Rhys started to smile because he was sure Jack was just joking, but before he could commit to it, Jack was out of his chair, rounding the desk and pulling Rhys to his feet by the linen wrap around his chest.

"These clothes are firkin crazy by the way. I can't wait to see how the hell you get them off." Jack said.

Rhys mouth ran dry as he finally caught up with what was happening. His lower back bumped up against Jack's desk as he was cornered. Rhys' fight or flight instinct kicked in with a vengeance. Tiny text popups visible with his ECHO eye warned him about his heartrate and the stress hormones flowing through his system.

"You just take out the pin…" Rhys replied. Forcing the messages away with his thoughts while also trying to keep track of where exactly Jack's hands were going. Not realizing until he saw the wicked delight on Jack's face that he had just given instructions on how to undress himself.

Two large hands closed around his backside giving it a firm squeeze. Rhys squeaked and somehow ended up with his arms around King Handsome Jack's back.

Rhys was sure as hell making eye contact now. Every part of him felt so overwhelmed but he still wanted more. Rhys wasn't sure if Jack was waiting for him to do something, or if the moment only seemed to take forever, but he lost his patience first and leaned up to press their lips together.

This was evidently the right move, because he was rewarded with a hand fisting his short brown hair and his lips being forcibly parted.

The alcohol they had just been drinking tasted so much better on Jack's tongue. Rich and smooth… or maybe that was just him. Rhys barely had any idea what it was he was doing, acting wholly on instincts as lips collided and tongues twined.

A loud and incessant beeping sound started up from the vicinity of Jack's desk. The Pandorian King grunted and pushed Rhys up onto his desk, then down onto his back so he could reach over him to the flashing button on the intercom built into his desk.

Jack might not have noticed that his hips were between Rhys' thighs. Rhys absolutely did though.

"What the hell is it, Angel? I'm busy." Jack snapped.

Rhys recognized the female voice that had addressed them when they were docking as she replied to Jack.

"Emperor Amyntas is on the line. Priority level alpha."

Jack glanced down at Rhys just in time to see the Prince's mouth hanging open.

"Ohhhhhhh, someone's in trouble" Jack purred, giving Rhys' thigh a playful slap. Rhys barely felt it though, he was still battling the dread washing over him as he realized how much trouble he was in.

"Duly noted. Tell his highness I'll be available in five." Jack instructed. Releasing the intercom button and taking a step back from the prone body lying on his desk.

Rhys dropped down and readjusted his robes.

"You better get out of here, kiddo." Jack advised, dropping back into his throne and summoning his translucent holo-screen. "Go on and fly back to Daddy before he sends one of his battleships after you."

"Yeah, sure..." Rhys muttered. Anger was starting to join the cocktail of emotions he was going through.

"Oh and don't worry about me telling on you. What happens in Handsome Jack's office stays in my office."

Rhys took the first few steps back towards the elevator, but somehow this didn't quite feel right. Rhys didn't want whatever this moment was to end on the fact his father was a worrying old busybody.

"Hey Jack." Rhys said.

Blue and green eyes flicked up to meet him as he gained a few more precious seconds of Jack's attention.

"Even if my father does ground me for life. It was totally worth it."

"Fucking eh." Jack replied with a nod. "But actually, you should piss off now. Or I might reconsider and finish making out with you in front of your dad, just to see his stupid face."

"Okay, ew…" Rhys murmured, turning on his heel and leaving. He needed to find the girls and Vaughn and maybe grab a drink or two for the ride. Being drunk when they got back to Athens might be a pretty good idea.

As soon as the doors closed behind Rhys, Jack re-opened the communication link with Control Core Angel back on Pandora.

"Angel, I need you to start gathering information on Prince Rhys of the Athenian empire. I need everything from when his birthday is to his grade point average."

"Ummm… okay, But uh… why?" Angel asked, dropping her formal speech now there was no one to pretend to be an AI for.

"Just evaluating my prospects." Jack replied. "-and on a totally unrelated note, just how big is the Athenian Navy, again?"

Angel knew that her father knew this already, but she obeyed all the same.

"Just over two thousand space fairing ships. Including 20 Olympia-class spaceship carriers and the Royal flagship."

Emperor Handsome Jack nodded. Running the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip.

He really did have nice cheekbones; a nice ass too. Not too round or too flat.

"Go ahead and patch daddy Athens though. We Just might have something to talk about after all."


	2. The Scorpion and the Frog

> "Hey! Until he set all those people on fire, Jack seemed like a pretty nice guy!"
> 
> -Mad Moxxie, Borderlands 2

"Details are still emerging about the accident that occurred at 1300' hours Athens standard time. But we do have confirmation that his Majesty, Emperor Amyntas, was on board the vessel when it-"

"Billions of citizens were out in the streets of Athens today to mourn the loss of their emperor-"

"Foul play has been ruled out in the case of the untimely death of the emperor-"

"He is survived by his son, who has yet to appear publicly since the death of his father."

"Coronation has been delayed till a currently unknown date-"

"Rhys? Hey, Rhys? Are you awake?"

Vaughn gently pushed open the door to Rhys' room. All the lights had been turned off and the curtains drawn closed. The only illumination in the room came from the pale blue glow of the holo-screen being projected from the palm of Rhys' robotic hand.

The prince was lying on the decorative sofa pushed up against the foot of his four poster bed. A fluffy throw blanket draped over his slumped body. His eyes were sunken and hollow, even the artificial one, and his hair was a spectacular rats-nest from the accumulation of nearly two months of bed-head.

The holo-screen had a frozen image of a crashed spaceship. The camera was pointed down, so only a fraction of the wreckage could be seen. Sparing the general public any chance of seeing the mangled body of their emperor. Rhys flicked from video to video, playing each for a couple of seconds before moving on to the next.

He had been doing the exact same thing yesterday when Vaughn had visited him. He kept pouring over those old news broadcasts, as if he could change what they said if he only he watched them one more time.

Vaughn walked over to his best friend and gently curled his fingers over the cold metal of Rhys' robotic hand, closing it so his fingers blocked the holo-projector. Rhys kept poking at the now non-existence screen for a moment or two before he realized it wasn't there anymore.

His blue and brown eyes finally looked up.

"Hey… Weren't you just here?" Rhys asked, taking his hand back and rubbing his red-ringed eyes.

"No, that was yesterday. I thought I'd come back and see if you wanted to go for a walk?"

"Um… no… I'm kind of tired. Maybe tomorrow?"

"You also said that yesterday…"

"Oh…"

Vaughn sat down on the opposite arm rest from the one Rhys was leaning against.

"Are you sure you don't want to go out, maybe just to the gardens and back? I don't want to push Rhys, but-"

"Well then don't alright. Just don't" Rhys snapped. He knew as soon as the words left his mouth that he was being unreasonable, but he couldn't keep back his anger. He was just so tired.

Vaughn didn't reply. He just sat there, waiting for the prince to calm back down.

"I just need a little more time…"

"The hell you do!"

The doors of Rhys bedroom burst open again, revealing an angry Sasha. Fiona was kneeling on the floor behind her sister, caught mid eavesdrop by the sudden blowing of their cover. The younger sister strode into the room and planted her hands on her hips.

"It's been two months. More time isn't going to fix anything."

"Sasha..." Fiona murmured, as she came up behind her sister and rested a hand on her elbow.

"We already tried asking nicely Fi, and it's not working. We need to drag his butt out of bed before he dies in here!"

Noticing that he wasn't being directly spoken to at the moment, Rhys stopped listening. He didn't have enough energy to deal with his own emotions, never mind anyone else's. He stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom, examining the cracks in the old plaster. A decorative pattern just above his bed depicted the olive wreath crown, a symbol of victory awarded to athletes and warriors.

Fiona started by talking to Sasha, trying to calm her down, and at some point, Vaughn was trying to remind the girls that they had promised to let him do things his way this time.

Rhys curled onto his side and pulled his blanket over his head, trying to shut the voices out.

His clever camouflage attempt didn't last long, however, and soon someone was tugging the blanket off. One of the traitorous jerks he called friends had also opened the blinds, and Rhys was treated to a shot of daylight that made his eyeballs ache.

Once his pupils had shrunk enough to be able to see again, Rhys stared up at Fiona. She had the blanket draped over one arm, outing her as the thief who had taken it from it.

"Hey" She said. Her tone casual.

"Hi" Rhys replied. His tone caustic.

"I realize maybe we came on a little strong. But it's only because we're worried about you Rhys" Fiona began.

"That and everyone is starting to freak out without an emperor to reassure them everything's going to be okay" Sasha added, coming up behind her sister with her hand still planted on her hips.

"We have Prime Ministers for a reason, managing the colony planets is their responsibility" Rhys muttered.

"That's not the point, it's a matter of national pride. When tragedy strikes we need to carry on, like we have for thousands of years!"

Rhys snorted humorlessly. More royal guard rhetoric. Just what he needed right now.

"Then the fucking nation can carry on without me, like it has for thousands of years" He snapped.

"There are trillions of people in this empire and they didn't even know my dad, and you're expecting me to comfort them? Like I'm supposed to just get over it because I'm a prince and I'm not allowed to feel anything unless it's for the good of the royal "we"?"

"Yes, actually." Sasha replied, countering Rhys' anger with her own. "That's what being an emperor is about. It's not all fancy castles and dinner parties, and you know that. You have responsibilities, and you know your father would want you to step up."

"You still haven't set a date for your coronation yet" Fiona added, calmer than her sister, but still firm. "It would really help people feel normal again if they knew when you were going to be crowned."

"Well they're just going to have to wait, I... I just can't, I'm not ready yet."

Rhys lost his venom somewhere in that last sentence. Sleep deprivation had shortened his temper, but it had also drastically reduced how long he could sustain it. He sighed and pulled his legs up, hugging them to his chest.

"I think we're getting a little bit off track here. All we were going to do was ask Rhys to go for a walk with us" Vaughn reminded them.

Rhys pushed himself up using the arm of the sofa. The sudden movement after so many hours sitting down, only led to his legs giving out from under him and landing right back on his ass.

Vaughn moved to help him back up, but Rhys ignored the offer and forced himself to stand again.

"If it will get you to stop asking I'll go for a walk. But only if I can go alone."

Rhys' friends looked at each other, but no one voiced approval.

"I just need a little more time alone, Please?" Rhys added.

"Fine, but only if you check in with the guard so we know you actually went" Sasha decided.

Rhys nodded his agreement. If he had actually been planning to just pretend he had gone, he didn't show it.

"Fine then, I suppose I should get dressed. Feel free to leave."

He stalked over to his dresser and turned his back on his friends. Sasha and Fiona took the hint, but Vaughn stayed behind a moment longer. He walked over to his best friend and placed a hand on Rhys' shoulder. The Prince didn't respond, but he did stop aimlessly digging through several pairs of black pants.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now, but we're going to get through this together. Even if we have to yell at each other a lot before that happens" Vaughn said.

"Yeah, I guess we will. Sure as hell doesn't feel like it now though."

* * *

 

Rhys actually spent longer outside than he originally intended. He probably wouldn't admit to it any time soon, but the walk had been a good idea.

He spent almost a full hour leaning on the railing on the edge of the palace garden, looking down on the city below.

The Acropolis of Athens was positioned on the very edge of a rocky outcrop, so that all of the central business district could see it when they looked up. An effect preserved by building regulations that prevented skyscrapers from coming within a thousand meters of the edge of the cliff.

The palace, where the emperor lived and worked, actually made up only one third of the Acropolis as a whole. There was also the Parthenon, where the democratically elected leaders of the empire held parliament, and the Erechtheion, an old temple where the most important of public ceremonies took place.

Once upon a time, all three buildings had been open to the public, but security concerns had overruled that back before the empire had more than one planet to its name.

Rhys watched the crowds of people as traffic ebbed and flowed through the streets. Billions of little dots, all with things to do and places to be. Every one of them had probably lost a loved one in their lives, but they kept living on regardless.

Then there was him, unable to even get up in the morning without falling apart, even months after his father died, and he was supposed to be the one leading them. Everyone was going to be so disappointed in him.

After that lovely train of thought, Rhys decided he wanted to go back to his room.

Rhys had put his ECHO eye into sleep mode so he wouldn't be disturbed on his walk, but he turned it on again as he neared the gigantic stone square of the palace.

It only took a quick glance at the pile of un-heard ECHO messages for Rhys to realize something was very, very, wrong.

The first of the messages was from the Palace Housekeeper. That in itself was cause for alarm, since Rhys couldn't imagine anything that that fearsome woman couldn't handle. Not when she managed to keep the hundred-strong domestic staff in peak condition like they were her own personal army.

Rhys was just about to press play when he caught a tail-fin out of the corner of his human eye. Rhys kept walking and slowly the rest of the ship came into view. It was too decorative and sleek to be a battleship, more of a space yacht than anything else. All smooth edges and fat around the middle to maximize inside space that could be used for bowling alleys or additional hot tubs.

But what really shattered the mystery was what color it was painted. The second that shade of yellow hit his retina, Rhys knew exactly who had decided to land their pleasure craft on his front lawn and could also take a good guess at why.

Rhys picked up the pace as he followed the paths that curled around the side of the palace and onto the front lawn. It didn't take long for a painful stitch in his side to develop. but then Rhys saw the collection of people standing in front of the Hyperion ship, and the guns they were pointing at one another, and he didn't dare slow down.

Even a distance, Handsome Jack's baring was unmistakable. He was caught in the middle of a disagreement with the palace housekeeper. She was standing perfectly still, defiant even in the face of his anger. While Jack was pacing around her, gesturing to punctuate his arguments.

Rhys felt a little flutter of anxiety in his chest.

He remembered that the last time he had seen Jack, they had kissed.

Then he remembered that the last time he had seen Jack, his father was still alive.

The fight Rhys had with his father afterwards had been one of the last times they had spoken before the accident. Leaving no time left for apologies.

Rhys pushed through the royal guards standing opposite to Jack's own robotic and human forces. Only a small percentage of the humans looked like they had any military training though. More like clerical or business related staff of some kind. All suits, briefcases, and electronic tablets clasped to chests.

Jack was the first to notice the prince had arrived. The anger dropped from his expression, replaced with a warm smile.

"Rhysie, there you are. Could you do me a _huge_ favor and remind this little harpy of yours that I am your invited guest. And in the interest of properly accommodating a noble dignitary, such as myself, she has to frickin do what I tell her?"

"Um… well you weren't exactly invited Jack, but you are a guest. I guess…" Rhys replied. Truthfully, he had no idea what propriety demanded he do when a king showed up on his front lawn, but that seemed as good a place to start as any.

"It's okay Merida. Could you please see to his majesty's requests?" Rhys asked, giving his housekeeper an apologetic look. Even though she was his employee, Rhys still felt like she was his superior in a weird way and he would never dream of not asking her nicely.

Partly, it was because she had been around since he was a baby and even acted as his nanny for a few years, but mostly it's because he owed his friendship with Vaughn to her. If she hadn't taken pity on him and brought her nephew in to work with her ten years ago, he would have never met Vaughn.

"-and um, the rest of you. Please stand down. He's harmless. Mostly anyway" Rhys added. Addressing the rest of the guard.

"See, that was going to be my second request and you beat me to it! Man, you do catch on quick cupcake. Did I tell you how much I like that?"

Rhys gave a little shrug. Catching himself before he could stare at his feet and brake eye contact with Jack. Merida took this moment to turn on her heal and set to her tasks, but not before she shot Rhys a motherly 'I hope you know what you're doing young man' kind of glare.

"You look super shitty by the way. Like your eyes are all puffy, and your hair looks like a Rakk has been living it in. It's pretty pathetic. Things might actually be worse than I was expecting" Jack said.

"Jack please… I'm really tired. Could you just tell me why you're here?" Rhys interjected.

Jack raised both eyebrows at him.

"What? Isn't it obvious? I came to look after you, kiddo!"

"um… no. no, it's not obvious actually. Why would you-?"

"Well, I'm not just going to sit by and watch this lovely little empire of yours crumble underneath you. That would be horrible. Entertaining, but also horrible."

Jack lowered his volume a bit, and stepped closer to Rhys. Closing the circle of communication against the various bystanders.

"I know this is a bit unusual. What with me taking a personal interest in you when I have my own empire to run. But I can't help feeling a little… god, I guess the word would be "protective", of you. I mean everyone knows how unprepared you are for this, and now your daddy- your father, is gone, you need someone to show you how to do the whole "all-powerful emperor" thing."

Rhys wilted. So apparently it was so obvious the whole galaxy knew. Rhys crossed his arms over his chest, the confirmation of his fears sitting on his shoulders like a fifty-pound weight.

"But first thing's first. You look like you need a hug."

Rhys didn't even have time to fully register what Jack had just said before Jack's arms closed around his back and he was pulled into a tight hug. Jack was taller than he was, and Rhys' feet parted ways with the ground by an itch or two while Jack held them chest-to-chest.

Rhys found himself hugging back, the embrace was stifling, but that only made it more comforting in a strange way. Pressed up against Jack like this, he momentarily forgot about everything but what a second kiss would taste like and how much more overwhelming Jack's presence was up close.

"Drink it in, Pumpkin. Everything is going to be just fine now that Jack is here."

Rhys made contact with the ground again as he was dropped. Jack left one hand resting on Rhys' elbow as he stepped away. He still couldn't quite believe that Jack had come all this way just to try to snap him out of his depression, but he sure as hell wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Better?" Jack asked

"Yeah."

"Great, now-" Jack turned his attention back to the staff he had brought with him. His demeanor changing so fast it was like flicking a switch. "What the hell are you people standing around for? You have your orders. I want to see this place up to Hyperion standards yesterday, so fucking move it! and if anyone gives you grief, remind them prince Rhys has given you permission."

"I did?" Rhys asked.

"Don't worry about it, Babe. That's just my executive admin staff. I brought them over so they could hold down the fort while I work on you. They're just going to organize your to-do list and catch up on everything you missed being MIA for the last month. That way, when you're ready, you can just slip that crown right back on that pretty little head of yours."

Jack paused to ruffle Rhys' hair, only to take his hand back a second later, grimacing.

"First though, we need to find you some shampoo."

* * *

 

The palace at Athens had played host to many a royal guest in its time, but accommodating Handsome Jack was probably going to leave a few more scars that it was used to.

Rhys didn't really know how to conduct himself throughout most of the proceedings, but Jack seemed perfectly capable of handling most of the formalities himself.

Within an hour he had claimed the largest of the lavish guest rooms, had the staff move his luggage there, worked out formal dinner arrangements, acquired several bottles of the finest local Athenian wine, and personally kicked Rhys' butt into the bathroom to wash up.

Rhys knew he should be offended that Jack was imposing himself so thoroughly on both him and his staff. God knew his father would have never stood for it, not even for a second, but Rhys just didn't care one jot. In fact, it was kind of nice. The palace had felt so cold since his father's passing. Even the maids walked like they were standing on eggshells, too scared to brake the dower mood that hung in every nook and cranny like an uninvited ghost.

Jack's sudden presence was like a broken live wire sending ten thousand volts through the air. Suddenly everyone had something to do and was hurrying to do it, lights were being turned on and windows were opened to let in the early summer breeze. It still didn't quite feel like home, but this was closer than it had been in months.

Rhys was sitting on the smoking room floor. In years gone by, this was a place for the men to retreat after dinner and enjoy a cigar and a friendly game of cards. But now it was more of a general recreation room with a billiard table, a bar, and many old but still very comfortable chairs.

Rhys had re-dressed himself in black pants and a blue button-up shirt. Not exactly formal attire, but still more put-together then anything he had worn since sneaking out to Helios. Rhys knew the only reason he bothered to think twice about his appearance was because he wanted to look good for Jack.

Or at least not like he had been chewed on by a Skag. Whatever those were. Jack had a habit of referring to Pandorian wildlife like everyone should know what they were, and Rhys was trying to roll with it and not make his confused ECHO eye searches to obvious.

Jack was going over the haul of hard liquor and wine he had the servants acquire from various storerooms and kitchens. He had all twelve bottles lined up on the bar and was looking them over with the eye of a general with new recruits. Searching for weaknesses and strengths and how they could be used together.

"Okay Ryhsie, what we need here is to apply the patented Handsome Jack 'make the feelings go away' formula. Well, it's not actually patented, but now I'm thinking about it, I probably should..."

Jack summoned a holo-screen from his watch and sent a quick text to legal telling them to get the ball rolling on it. He also added a friendly PS. that if anyone tried to argue that he couldn't patent human behavior patterns, he would have them patented next and sue them into oblivion for infringing upon themselves.

"Anyway, here's the plan" Jack continued once he had finished. "First we're going to eat a huge five course dinner, then we drink till we can't walk, then we pass out, then tomorrow morning we drink off the hangovers and eat strawberry pancakes with lots of whipped cream. Then if you still feel like shit, we just keep doing that until you don't. it's flawless."

Rhys couldn't help a tiny smile. He wasn't really much of a drinker and he doubted he would be able to keep up. But that plan was so Handsome Jack he kind of liked it anyway. Stunts like that were exactly how he routinely ended up on the top of the celebrity gossip news feeds.

"I made a few edits for you by the way, normally there's some other drugs and strippers in there. But I figure you're a little too young to be into the hard stuff, and there's really no point in strippers if they have to compete with yours truly for your attention. It just wouldn't be fair to the poor things."

Jack gave Rhys a wolfish grin and came over to where he was sitting.

"Just so you know, Cupcake, there's a fine line between eye contact and longing gazes. I would have thought the starstruck would have faded away by now. But I suppose I can't really blame you, I am basically the most awesome person in this galaxy."

Jack sat down next to Rhys and threw and arm around the prince's shoulders. he pulled on Rhys until he was leaning against him. it wasn't that much physical contact, but the butterflies in Rhys' chest didn't seem to get the memo. Rhys still didn't quite understand how Jack could say things like "most awesome person in the galaxy" without a trace of irony. But he sure as hell did it, and with enough self-assurance you could almost believe him.

"So, Kiddo, are you a virgin? Jack asked.

"W-what? Rhys stammered.

"Come on, you were the one eye fucking me like five seconds ago so I hardly think it's that personal a question."

Rhys folded his hands in his lap, threading his metallic fingers into his human ones. He could point out that not having any romantic liaisons was actually better for the stability of the crown as a whole, since any romantic relationship carried with it the possibility of crowning a co-ruler of his empire. But he sensed that would cut exactly zero ice with Jack.

"Um, yes…" Rhys admitted.

"Ah-ha! I thought so. You know it occurred to me right after you left my office that I might have actually been about to pop your cherry. Never would have guessed in the moment. You were taking it like a champ right up until…"

Jack trailed off letting out a prolonged 'ahhh' as he realized it would be better if he didn't mention Rhys' dead father right at that moment.

"Well, never mind. Point is, we could also get you laid. That al-"

Jack didn't get to finish that thought before the doors to the Smoking room were thrown open and a human shaped tornado in deadlocks and fitted armor strode into the room

"Rhys! There you are. What the fuck is going on."

Sasha's eyes widened as her gaze shifted from her prince to Jack, then to the arm over Rhys' shoulder.

"Oh, your majesty" Sasha said through gritted teeth. Giving Jack a curt bow that was nowhere near low enough to suit his standing.

"Sorry, but I need to borrow my majesty for a moment. Urgent matter of national security."

Sasha stamped over and grabbed Rhys under the arm furthest away from Jack and hulled him to his feet. Jack grabbed Rhys' wrist in retaliation, and for a moment Rhys' thought he was going to end up like a tug-of-war toy caught between two dogs. But then Jack loosened his grip and Sasha jerked him away completely.

"Fine. But make it snappy. I've got big plans for today" Jack said. Opening his wristwatch holo-screen to see to another task, already bored with the argument.

Sasha snorted and was going to remind Jack that she didn't take orders from him, but Rhys managed to hustle her to the door fast enough that the moment passed without incident.

Once they were in the hallway Sasha turned on him.

"There are Hyperion spies everywhere, and they're saying you invited them in!"

"Um…"

Rhys couldn't exactly deny it, so he just fidgeted for a moment. Preferring to let his obvious guilt speak then admit to it out loud.

"Oh my god. Rhys! You can't just invite people who work for your enemy into your fucking home!" Sasha exclaimed.

"Hey, hey! Jack isn't our enemy. I uh... I mean, Pandora isn't our enemy" Rhys replied. Catching himself a tad too late. Even he was starting to forget that there was a whole empire attached to Jack.

"Fine, but they aren't our allies either, and even if they were, you don't just let your allies have access to secure facilities just because they showed up on your doorstep and asked" Sasha said.

"Secure facilities? Sasha this is a royal palace, not a military base. All we do here is entertain guests and have garden parties. What are they going to do? Steal the plans for the Dionysia festival? Maybe sign some pre-approved document before I can?" Rhys said with a laugh.

Sasha glowered at him and Rhys dropped his joviality. She was obviously upset and she deserved better from him than dismissing her concerns.

"it's just… we host foreign guests here all the time. I just don't see how this is any different" Rhys explained.

"For starters, most "guests" don't bring a crap-tone of people with them who start bossing everyone around like they own the place."

Rhys tilted his head left then right, weighing the statement in his head.

"Actually, you know most royals do travel with their court, and they can get pretty demanding. You remember when emperor Temüjin visited five years ago and the whole staff-"

"This is different!" Sasha interjected, throwing her arms up in exasperation."

"This isn't just requests for soda water or for a bowl of candy with the red ones taken out. They're trying to take over Rhys! and it's not just me who thinks so. It's like, basically everyone. I just got sent because I'm the most likely to be able to talk some sense into you."

Rhys bit his lip, thinking it over as he tried to find a compromise.

"Alright, alright, um… new orders then. Tell the rest of the guards and the service staff that they are to comply with Hyperion as best they can. But if they feel like some aspect of national security is at risk, they can decline. Leave it up to their best judgment."

Sasha didn't look completely pleased, but she had to have known Rhys couldn't just kick Jack out. Even if he was braking several handfuls of rules about proper diplomatic decorum.

"Fine. That will have to do, but only because I haven't even gotten to the part where you were letting that creep put his arm around you! What the hell is that even about?"

In the space of about three seconds Rhys went from wise emperor, to child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Ahhhahah… Well, ummm..." he mumbled.

"You do know he's like a billion years older than you, and he's killed people, a lot of people" Sasha pointed out.

"What? You mean like the bandits on Pandora before it was colonized? I mean... that doesn't really count, does it? No civilization has been built without a little bloodshed, that's just how it works."

"Most emperors don't do it with their bare hands, Rhys" Sasha said.

"Is there some kind of a problem going on out here? Because I'm pretty sure I said to make it quick."

Rhys practically jumped out of his skin at the sound of Jack's voice. Sasha was facing the opposite way and must have seen him coming up behind Rhys, but apparently she hadn't cared enough to stop talking about him.

Jack's hand rested on Rhys shoulder and tightened as Sasha failed to answer him with anything but a haughty glare. The silenced stretched and Rhys felt the gathering tension like two cyclones spinning in opposite directions, about to clash at any moment.

"Sasha, your comments have been noted. I will be sure to take it under advisement, and we can have a little follow up talk about it later" Rhys said, taking a step to the side so he was physically standing between Jack and her.

Her gaze shifted back to Rhys. He could tell she was nowhere near finished with him, but even she was thinking twice about continuing the argument in front of Jack.

"Later Sasha, Please?" Rhys pleaded.

She nodded, and followed it up with a more proper salute.

"Alright. I'll see to the new orders your majesty" Sasha said, deliberately failing to acknowledge Jack before she left.

"Friend of yours?" Jack asked.

"Uh, yeah. Since we were kids. How did you know?"

"Only reason I can think for why she hasn't been fired. Pro-tip Rhys, life is too short to listen to backtalk from the friken hired help."

Now the object of his annoyance was gone, Jack's attention wandered again. He tapped the golden pin resting on Rhys' lapel. The same one he had been wearing at Jack's party months ago.

"What the hell is that thing by the way, a phoenix?" Jack asked.

"It's a double headed eagle. It supposed to symbolize the power of the emperor."

"hhn" Jack replied, reaching over to adjust the pin so it was sitting perfectly strait again.

"You know kitten; they say you can't kill a phoenix, since when it dies it will be reborn again from its own ashes and flames. That's total bullshit though. It might take a few tries, but when you finally crush her and watch her bleeding her last into a pool of smoldering lava. All the effort it took will have been oh-so worth it."

The chuckle that followed made Rhys feel uncannily like a tarantula was crawling up his arm, but the fear was cut by excitement and adrenaline. Like skydiving, or jumping into a frozen lake.

"Um, Jack... Phoenix aren't real" Rhys said.

"yeah, course not. Just messing with you." Jack replied thumping Rhys hard on the back as he turned to leave. "Come on. Time waits for no man. Even Handsome Jack, at least not yet."

* * *

 

The view from the second floor guest balcony was much the same as the one near the edge of the garden. This side of the palace was pushed right up to the very edge of the outcrop, with balconies jutting out over the edge for the enjoyment of those without a fear of heights.

Rhys ran a finger over the edge of his wine glass as it rested on the railing, his body half slumped over as he rested his head beside it on the cold stone.

Dinner sat heavy in his stomach. He hadn't been expecting Jack to bring ingredients from Pandora with him. so, the sudden appearance of bright purple meat at the table had been a bit of a shock. Apparently it took a lot of selective breeding and mutations to make the local wildlife palatable to humans.

If the rest of the results was even half as tender and flavorful as the thresher Rhys had tasted, though, he had to admit it was worth the millions Jack had sunk into the project.

Between the rich food and the wine Rhys felt completely boneless. it was pleasant, but also a touch uncanny after he had gotten so used to the stress and emptiness.

What Jack's presence had done to the palace had trickled down into Rhys. It filled him up so nothing else could fit. Even the painful memories that had kept him up for months fell out of his mind as if they were nothing more than a recollection of what he had for breakfast last Tuesday.

The sliding glass door to the balcony opened and the king of Pandora stepped through, carrying his third drink, a whisky and scotch mix.

The lights from the city below them radiated out towards the sky and then out into space. Unlike earth, or even Pandora, Attica had no natural satellites. So only the pale glow of the stars was present to compete with the brilliance of the massive city.

"Are you still on your second one?" Jack asked, as he took up the space on the balcony next to the Prince.

"you're fucking up my plan here, Buttercup. You're supposed to be getting drunk."

Rhys turned his head to face Jack and rested his cheek on his forearm

"I know, I just… I feel kinda weird already."

"That's probably the thrasher venom. Most of it gets burned off while it's cooking but there usually just enough of the paralytic left to give you that cool tingling feeling" Jack explained.

He raised an eyebrow at Rhys and poked the prince in the shoulder, then again a few more times along his back. Like a child tormenting a fish with a stick. Rhys didn't react, simply staring up at Jack with a lazy expression on his face.

"I guess when you have the proportions of a beanstalk the absorption rate might be a little higher" Jack admitted.

"You didn't feel like mentioning that before I ate it?"

"And ruin the surprise? No way, pumpkin. Eh, don't worry though, I ate like twice as much as you did and I'm just fine. So you'll probably live."

Rhys sighed loudly, but even exasperation seemed more fun when it was Jack causing it. Plus, he couldn't exactly complain when he was clearly enjoying it.

He turned his gaze back out to the city around them. The streets below stretched out in a nearly perfect grid, but the buildings that lined them were a hodpodge of different architectural styles from many different time periods. Steel and glass next to stone and concrete. Order and chaos mashed together into a uniquely human habitat.

"Hey, Jack there's a question I wanted to ask" Rhys said, pulling himself up from his slump so he was leaning with his arms crossed on the balcony.

"Nothing's stopping you" Jack replied, pressing his glass to his bottom lip and taking a sip.

Rhys took a deep breath to calm himself. He was stepping out on a limb here, but he was still pretty sure he was on the right track. After all, there wasn't a lot of alternate explanations for Jack showing up out of nowhere and spending so much one on one time with him like this.

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

Jack snorted into his drink and had to pull it away quickly to avoid spilling any in his surprise.

"Haha! Oohhh… Oh no, Cupcake. When it comes to Handsome Jack there is no "try". If I want something I get it. Simple as that."

Jack put his glass down and leaned on the balcony so he was eye level with Rhys.

"As for whether or not you're on the list, it depends. You haven't exactly done anything to catch my interest yet. Sneaking out and traveling thousands of light-years just to get a chance to meet me was impressive, I'll give you that. But that was then kiddo, and this is now."

Jack reached over and gently tucked a loose strand of Rhys' chocolate hair back into place.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" he asked.

Rhys bit the inside of his cheek. Racking his brain for something that might impress someone who had everything.

"Well, um... What kind of things catch your attention?" Rhys asked.

"Bandit killing, fighting alien monsters, bringing me the mangled bodies of people I don't like, blowing up planets in my name, getting down on your knees and worshiping me like the god I am..."

Jack trailed off the middle of his list. Rhys wasn't sure exactly what face he was making, but apparently his expression was pretty funny because Jack started laughing

"…or, a little confidence would probably also do the trick" Jack added once his cackling died down.

Jack slipped two fingers under Rhys' chin.

"God, you're so fucking gullible. It's cute, and I guess cute works too" Jack said.

This time it was Jack who closed the distance between their lips.

It occurred to Rhys, that when he was kissing Jack he was really kissing the lips on that strange mask of his. It felt like real skin though, enough he could forget when his eyes were closed. He wondered if he would ever get to kiss Jack without it in the way.

The stone railing dug into Rhys lower back as Jack grabbed his upper arm and spun him so they were facing each other properly. Jack took half a step forward, hemming the prince further into place.

Rhys parted his lips, expecting Jack to invade his mouth again. But instead, strong fingers curled around the side of his neck and Jack pulled back to meet Rhys' half -lidded gaze.

Jack ran his thumb down Rhys' windpipe, stopping in the little hollow right above his collar bone so he could feel Rhys' racing pulse.

There was a very subtle difference between the accelerated heartrate of fear and arousal. Jack enjoyed either, but what he really craved was a poisonous mix of both.

Not the time for that now, though. it wasn't part of the plan. With some effort, Jack managed to restrain the urges clawing at him from the back of his mind. One day soon, oh-so very soon, he would teach Rhys to love the feeling of Jack's hands around his neck. But not yet.

Rhys was just beginning to wonder what Jack was doing with he leaned in and kissed the side of his neck. It tingled a little. but Rhys didn't have any time to appreciate that feeling before Jack bit down.

Rhys let out a surprised yelp, but the second bite just above the last resulted in a proper moan.

It started off as a shock of pain, then settled into a gentle throbbing that felt good in a way being hurt hadn't any right to.

"Ja… Jack?" Rhys asked. The question in his trembling voice even though he had no idea how he could put his confusion into words.

"What's the matter sweet-cheeks, never had anyone give you love bites before?"

Rhys shook his head and Jack's chuckled against his bitten skin. He released Rhys' throat and stood back from the flushed prince. Looking over his handiwork with no small amount of satisfaction.

"Seriously? and you're sure you haven't been locked in a tower your whole life, kiddo? You're going to make me feel like such an old pervert at this rate."

Rhys gripped the banister behind him for support, he was feeling a little spacey. Well actually, really spacey. A second ago the world had been sharp like cut glass and now everything seemed like it was moving through gelatin instead of air.

"S-sorry…" Rhys murmured.

He wanted Jack pressed against him again. He didn't like being apart so soon after a moment like that. He let go of the balcony, expecting to move closer to Jack, but upon taking his weight his legs suddenly gave out.

He hit the balcony with a dull thud, half curled up on his side.

"Son of a taint!" Jack hissed.

He kneeled down beside Rhys and rolled the prince over onto his back. Rhys was still conscious, and breathing normally. He even had the gall to smile a bit.

"Jesus babe, I know I'm good. But fainting? Really?" Jack said.

Rhys mumbled something that sounded like "I'm sorry". He tried to sit up but his muscles wouldn't listen to him no matter how he tried.

"Fucking light weights…" Jack muttered. Slipping an arm around Rhys hips and lifting the limp body of the Athenian prince off the balcony floor. Rhys was a skinny teenager and more then easy enough for Jack to carry.

Back inside the smoking room Jack deposited the prince on the nearest sofa. Rhys was already half asleep and seemed mostly dead to the world. It was probably safe enough to leave him like this, which was good, because Jack suddenly had a pressing matter to attend to.

Someone was going to pay for this, and it was going to happen tonight.

He had left very specific instructions for the dosage. He had personally calculated it for Rhys' bodyweight using information that had taken Angel half a day to acquire from the hospital that performed Rhys' yearly checkups. But now those idiots just had to waste all that effort by leaving to much friken venom in the food.

It wasn't even as if he needed the help anyway. He practically had Rhys wrapped around his pinky finger. It was just supposed to be a little extra push to get his mind off his dearly departed father.

But instead it had ruined everything.

Jack grit his teeth. He needed something to brake. Or even better, someone to punch. But all he had was a sleeping prince and a room full of objects that would be missed if he put his foot through them.

Jack stared at Rhys, who was now fully asleep. Dreaming about him probably. Poor thing, he was so close to having all those fantasies come to life.

Still, maybe there was something to be said for keeping Rhys hungry.

Jack slowly started to unclench his fists. His anger taking a backseat to this sudden genius idea.

Perhaps this was all for the best. He was still going to murder the cooks he had brought with him from Helios of course, but never the less, this new plan was still pretty damn good.

Jack paused before he left and pressed a kiss to Rhys' forehead.

"Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince."

That was a quote from hamlet. Fuck, he was so smart.

* * *

 

Rhys awoke to the sound of his ringtone in his ear.

Well that wasn't quite accurate. The sound wasn't actually entering his ear. Thanks to the cybernetics hooked up to his brain, he could hear the sound without it actually being produced by a speaker system.

He rolled over, realizing to late he was not in his oversized bed and promptly falling off the edge of the sofa.

Swearing loudly, Rhys righted himself and scrambled to pick up the call before it got forwarded to voicemail.

The holo-screen in the palm of his hand flickered into life and Vaughn appeared on the other end of the line.

Rhys relaxed a bit when he saw his friend. He probably looked like a huge mess after sleeping on the sofa all night, but he knew that Vaughn wouldn't care.

"Hey dude, I was totally planning on calling you. What happened to you last night?" Rhys asked.

"I was about to ask you the same question, I called you like ten times. I showed up at the front gates but the guards wouldn't let me in."

Rhys blinked at his friend through the ECHO-com, his eyebrows knitting together in his confusion.

"Really? Everyone here knows you though. How could they… and you called me?"

Rhys dragged Vaughn's image to the side of the screen and pulled up his call history. A list of past numbers popped up, but none of them were colored red to indicate they had been missed.

"That's strange. There's literally nothing on my end. But, wait. They wouldn't let you in? Did they look like they were new?" Rhys asked.

"Nope. Same as usual, but apparently they were under orders from some other new guys that were taking over the place? The guards wanted to let me in, but the guy in the yellow shirt wasn't having it."

Just hearing the color made realization crash down over Rhys like a tidal wave.

"Oh, Hyperion…"

Rhys stood up and ran a hand through his hair, somehow making his bedhead even worse in his effort to smooth it.

"I'm sorry Vaughn, it's a side effect of having Handsome Jack as a guest. Working in the weapons trade must make you paranoid. He's kind of put his foot into a lot of things around here. I'll have a talk with him today and tell him about you so it won't happen again."

"Yeah, alright…" Vaughn replied. There was a touch of bitterness in his tone that made Rhys feel kind of guilty. It wasn't exactly a secret that the difference in their social standings led to a lot of occasions where he had to leave Vaughn behind.

"You look like you had a busy night anyway" Vaughn added, giving what he could see of the prince through the ECHO-com the once-over.

"Oh um… no, not really. I had a little too much to drink, and Jack brought some food from Pandora and… I passed out pretty quick."

"Uh-hun…"

The skepticism in Vaughn's tone counterpointed the slight pain in Rhys' neck where bruises from Jack's teeth decorated his skin.

Rhys was about to try to explain when a red light flashed in the corner of his eye.

"Ugh. Sorry Vaughn, Fiona is calling me. Apparently it's urgent."

After saying goodbye and promising to call again when he got a chance, Rhys hung up and took Fiona off hold.

"Rhys! Where hell are you!" Fiona demanded.

"The smoking room, wh-"

"I'll be up in five. Don't move."

Rhys wanted to reply that he would really like to be able to maybe get some breakfast first or maybe change his clothes but Fiona had already hung up.

* * *

 

"So you want to do me a huge favor and try to explain this?"

Rhys blinked at the ECHO device being shoved into his face, the web browser was open to what looked like a celebrity news site.

He took it from Fiona and scrolled down as he read. His eyes getting wider and wider, until at last, he hit the image that the article was talking about.

"Oh, Shit."

The picture was clearly taken from a far distance away. Probably a rooftop or a top floor window on one of the downtown skyscrapers. The camera that had taken it must have had a high powered zoom lens, because even from that far away, you could clearly see the two figures standing on one of the palace balconies. Caught in the middle of a heated kiss.

"I don't think "oh shit" even begins to cover it Rhys" Fiona said.

She took her ECHO device back and collapsed dramatically onto the sofa beside Rhys. She might not be a con-artist anymore, but Fiona was never above putting on a show.

"Where do I even start with you? The fact that you were kissing a psychotic dictator or the fact you were doing it in full view of the whole city?"

"Okay for one, it was not in full view. Anyone without a telescope lens wouldn't have been able to see us. And for two, the whole "psychotic dictator" thing is only a matter of public opinion at this point" Rhys said.

"Yeah, and you're a public figure Rhys so public opinion is the only thing that matters. You know Jack is considered a full on mass-murderer in some star systems, right? Star systems that might get kind of snippy next time were at a trade agreement meeting because they think your sleeping with him."

Fiona sighed loudly, flicking through a few more news reports on her ECHO, to make sure her read on the situation was still correct.

"One things for sure. Your morning period is officially over. No one is going to believe you're too devastated to do your royal duties when you were caught playing tonsil hockey with Handsome Jack" Fiona said.

Rhys nodded. Part of him had figured that would be the case but hearing Fiona say it out loud made it hit harder. The fingers on his robotic hand curled into his palm. He was used to his life being a matter of public record, but it was impossible to completely de-couple his emotions from that fact.

He hadn't asked for his life to be something that everyone got to have an opinion on. He was compensated well for it with a beyond comfortable life, but he had never actually been given a choice.

Fiona knew him well enough to sense even the buried frustration and decided it was time to lay off, if only a little.

"Alright, let's just focus on getting you through today. Have you thought about if you're going to mention this in your speech?"

"What speech?" Rhys asked.

It was hard to tell who was more shocked in that moment. Fiona realizing Rhys really had no idea he was set to address the entire nation in a few hours. Or Rhys upon realizing he was set to address the entire nation in a few hours.

"Jack didn't tell you, did he?"

* * *

 

One hour, a shower, a change of clothes, and breakfast later, Rhys managed to track Handsome Jack to the foyer.

He was surrounded by various Hyperion employees. Each holding some kind of tablet or scribble pad so they were ready to jot down ideas or orders at a moment's notice.

It seemed their gainful employer was a little distracted at the moment though. All his attention was being directed at one of the pieces of ancient Greek statuary that was dotted just inside the grand entrance doors.

It was supposed to remind visitors of the connection between the civilization that had once existed on earth, and this comparatively new galactic empire. Had Jack used the front door like royal guests were supposed to, it would have been his first impression of the palace.

Rhys trotted down the stairs to ground level. When he realized which of the statues Jack had decided deserved his interest, he was not surprised in the least.

"Morning princess! Say, now that you're here. I'd really, really, love to know why this statue has a dick" Jack said.

The statue in question was about the height of a fully grown adult. With a realistically sculpted head on top of a perfectly rectangular column of stone. The only other detailing beside the head came at about hip height, and in the shape of a comically over-simplified phallus that protruded from the smooth pillar.

"That's Hermes, the messenger of the gods" Rhys replied, jumping the last few steps and making his way over to Jack.

"Yes, whatever. The penis, Rhys! Why does he have a huge frickin penis carved into him."

"It's to dissuade evil spirits and bring good luck. I think… Historians don't quite agree on why, but statues like this were placed all over the empire. At crossroads, outside city gates, and on the borders between nations. So they had to believe it did something" Rhys explained.

Jack nodded. He took a step back to get a better look at it. He held up his hands and made two L shapes with his pointer finger and thumbs, framing the statue like he was trying to figure out the best way to take a picture of it.

"You know what? I like it. I think I'll have one made, but with my face instead of this herma-guy. Keep the cock size the way it is though, since that's totally accurate." He dropped his hands and gave Rhys a shit-eating grin. While one of the Hyperion workers dutifully scribbled down this new idea with a remarkable level of seriousness for a sentence that contained the word cock.

"Was there something you needed from me, Sweetcheeks?" Jack asked.

"Two things actually. For starters, I'd really love to know why I'm apparently doing a national address today."

Jack didn't even have the decency to pretend to be surprised that Rhys didn't already know. He just nodded and shrugged.

"Yup. You sure are. I figured after a day or so under my tender ministrations you would be more than ready to start taking back your rightful place as emperor" Jack said. He tossed an arm around Rhys shoulders and ruffled the prince's hair up in the back affectionately.

"Jaaaaaaack..." Rhys whined.

He pouted and wiggled a bit, making a token effort to get Jack to stop for appearance's sake.

"Ah-Ahh! what's with that look? You look worried" Jack said.

He reached over and brushed the backs of his fingers over Rhys cheek soothingly.

"Don't sweat it, kiddo. I wouldn't just hang you out to dry like that. I've already had my secretaries draft up the speech for you, and just to put the icing on the cake, yours-truly is going to be your wingman. I'll be in contact through your ECHO eye the whole time, all you have to do is listen to my sexy voice and repeat what I tell you"

"That… hhn…"

Rhys hadn't been expecting Jack to actually have a plan, but in hindsight that was probably not giving him enough credit. He was impulsive, but there was a lot going on under the surface that might not be obvious at first glance

"I… I guess I can do that" Rhys said

"Sure you can, and this is just the first baby step. Think of me like your big fluffy mama bird shoving you out of the nest until you figure out how flying works"

Rhys smirked. Picturing broad-chested muscly Jack covered in bright yellow feathers. Oddly enough it worked for him.

"And what was the second thing?" Jack asked.

The smile dropped from Rhys' cheeks. He started fidgeting a bit with his hands as he tried to figure out how he wanted to broach the topic.

"We were caught" Rhys said.

"Caught? By who and doing what?"

"The paparazzi, when we were on the balcony? It's all over the ECHO-net…"

"You mean us making out?" Jack asked, loud enough that it echoed around the whole entrance hall. Rhys felt his cheeks flush, and he could see the sideways looks some of the Hyperion staff were sharing.

"I hate to brake this to ya' babe, but I hardly think that qualifies as getting caught. Let me know if they get their hands on a sex tape and maybe I'll care. Even then, probably only long enough to download a personal copy for myself" Jack said.

The hand that had been playing with his hair slid down Rhys' back and settled on his ass. If anyone had any doubts about the sexual nature of how Jack was handling him, they were long gone now.

"If you're that bothered by it, I'll phone up my PR team and have them sink this story faster than the titanic. The right words to the right people and everyone will have forgotten about this tomorrow" Jack offered.

"I wasn't that bothered… I just thought you should know" Rhys murmured.

He was still a bit embarrassed about all the observers they had, but it wasn't dampening the mood enough to dissuade Rhys from returning the affection Jack was showing him. He turned a half step and closed his arms around Jack's chest. This hug was even more comforting then the one they had shared yesterday. Jack made it so easy to depend on and trust him.

"Better now?" Jack asked. Returning the hug.

"Yeah…"

When they parted Jack reached out and cupped Rhys' cheeks in both hands so their eyes met. Rhys still couldn't completely handle it when Jack stared right into him like that. It was so intense and focused, cutting through him like a knife slicing hot butter.

"Now Rhys, I want you to realize that I was already handling everything you were worried about. Remember that next time. Handsome Jack takes good care of his people. Especially when they're as precious as you are."

Rhys blinked rapidly. Reeling internally as he struggled to figure out if he had heard that right. Jack, Handsome Jack, had just called him precious.

He really shouldn't have been that surprised. They had nearly had sex last night after all (before he passed out after less than two glasses of wine, so embarrassing.) But it was a lot easier to believe that an impulsive rock star would be down for a quick fuck then it was to assume Jack might actually care about him.

Then again, why would he even be here if he didn't? Long way to go just to deflower a guy, even if he was a prince.

Jack liked the reaction and his smile in response was dangerously close to genuine.

"The things I'm doing might not always make sense right away, but I'm always going to have your best interests in mind when I do them. All you have to do is trust me, okay?"

"yes, Jack" Rhys agreed.

* * *

 

Rhys gripped the railing tight as he looked out over the crowds below. he was always surprised how many people actually turned up in person to see the royal addresses. It couldn't have been comfortable, standing out in the sun and jammed elbow to elbow. Yet, people had been there for hours beforehand to get a good view and still more were trickling in as noon approached.

The Agora of Athens was by no means a small gathering place, but it was still better suited to philosophers speaking to their disciples, then to matters of galactic interest.

This was the gathering point of the people though, and it was a matter of Athenian pride that the emperor spoke in a forum that was open to all citizens.

"Damn kiddo, you look like your about to piss your pants. Maybe take some deep breaths or something."

The sound of Jack's voice in his ear was still a little disconcerting, and not just because it was only an illusion brought about by his brains' inability to process the fact that the audio was being directly fed into it.

Add to that the frustrating side effect that, while he could hear Jack as clear as day, Jack was watching the live broadcast and wouldn't be able to hear him till his speech was underway.

Rhys shot camera five a baleful glare that he hoped Jack would realize was for him.

The podium Rhys was standing on was protected by a shield and about seven royal guards in ceremonial armor. More were planted among the crowd and scans for concealed weapons were being conducted by tiny drone flyers that mingled with the airborne camera bots.

Sasha was by his side, her face hidden under her helmet. Rhys hadn't told her that everything he was going to say today would be strait from the mouth of Handsome Jack himself. After how she had reacted yesterday, Sasha would probably insist Jack had purposefully written the speech to contain words or phrases that would unravel the empire.

He just didn't want her to worry is all. After the speech he would mention it. Provided the planet was still in one piece anyway.

Fiona gestured to Rhys, holding up two fingers to indicate they were going live in two minutes.

She looked worried, even more then he felt. Come to think of it, Rhys wasn't completely sure she knew that Jack had drafted his speech either. Only that he had told her and the other palace admin staff to arrange it.

Rhys had been so distracted with dealing with his father's death he had completely forgotten about how Fiona's role changed as well. She was the secretary to the emperor now, not just the bratty prince who mostly played video games all day.

She was in charge of the rest of the administration staff now, and had probably been a major reason why he had been allowed to mope as long as he had while she deflected questions and diplomatic correspondence.

After this was over he would have to talk to her. Figure out how she was doing and if she needed any help.

Also, now that he was thinking about it, he had forgotten to call Vaughn back. Shit.

Fiona held a single finger up and Rhys nodded. He stepped up to the marble podium with the Athenian flag draped over it.

"Showtime, Babe. Just keep your head up and try to act like me" Jack said.

As egotistic as that advice was, Rhys took it to heart. He pulled his shoulders back and tugged his lips up into a smile full of bravado, and just the tiniest hint of condescension.

He rested his hand on either side of the podium to ground himself and took in the almost literal sea of humanity around him.

Unlike when he was standing on the edge of the Acropolis outcrop, he was near enough now to see the faces of at least the closest five hundred people. They were all looking at him, expecting him to say something awe inspiring, to remind them why their empire was grate and powerful.

Rhys wanted to sink down behind the podium and curl up into a ball, but the part of him pretending to be Jack held firm. Jack wouldn't have ever believed he didn't deserve this, Jack would eat up the attention of the crowd and thrive off it, and Jack would make them love him.

"Well, you're a quick study. Have you been taking notes on me when I'm not looking? I bet you have, you frickin stalker. I can't decide if that's cute, or just kind of creepy."

And just like that Rhys' concentration was broken again. Thanks Jack.

Fiona held up all ten fingers, counting down.

Rhys took a deep breath in when there were only five left.

4, 3, 2, 1

"People of Athens, and all Athenian Citizens from across our glorious empire-"

Jack's voice in Rhys' head was clear and concise, reading from his prepared script with the ease of a practiced public speaker. Rhys did his best to mimic the tone as well as the words, leaning into the microphone so he could be heard clearly across all twenty planets.

He didn't really process any of what he was actually saying since he was trying to focus on mimicking Jack, but it seemed to be mostly filler and self-aggrandizing. Like the national equivalent of a pep talk before the big varsity game. Thankfully, it also sidestepped the death of the previous emperor when possible. Rhys wasn't sure he was prepared to talk about that in public, even with Jack guiding him.

Whatever he was saying, it seemed to be going down like a spoonful of chocolate ice cream. The mood in the room was rapidly shifting from unease and anticipation to enthrallment and pride.

And why wouldn't they be proud? He was their leader and he sounded like he knew what he was doing. He sounded like a king for the first time in his life.

Red text in the corner of Rhys' vision caught his attention and he nearly skipped a word.

Low signal. Relocate to maintain stable connection.

That didn't make any sense, he was standing in the center of one of the largest cities in the Milky Way. Even if he wasn't, ECCO-net access was so prevalent you could even get it in the arctic regions of mostly uninhabited planets.

Connection lost.

the words flashed over his vision just as the steady stream of audio Rhys was repeating cut out.

He had been in the middle of a sentence but Rhys had no idea what the first half had been, never mind how he was going to finish it.

Whatever confidence he had a moment ago died faster than a fish thrown into a volcano. Panic started to take over, and the fact Rhys could feel himself panicking only made it worse, as he started to panic about the fact he was panicking.

He took a step back from the podium, Sasha dropped out of her military stance and hurried over to him. she recognized the look in Rhys' eyes and snatched his arm before the prince could try to run away. In a crowd like this, it would be a security nightmare trying to extract him.

* * *

 

"Um, Handsome Jack, sir? we uh, appear to have lost the signal..."

"No shit, Sherlock. Sit the fuck down, you're getting in the way of my view."

Jack leaned back in his yellow leather captain's chair. Above him on the screens attached to the roof of his spacecraft, the action was playing out in glorious HD and from seven different angles.

Guards swarmed around the prince, the crowd reacting with shock and dismay as they rushed him hurriedly off-stage.

That girl in the sexy hat took up the microphone, but she was clearly just stalling and making whatever she could up as she went along.

Jack wondered if there would be a riot. Probably not, though. It was more pathetic than anger inducing. Rhys was a little boy pretending to be a king, and the fact that he had come so close and still failed just hammered in that point.

It was better to get this out of the way now. Knock Rhys down before he had too far to fall. Better to find out he didn't have what it takes before he fucked up for real, and without a hero around to pick up the pieces.

"Cut the connection and set up an encrypted link to Control Core Angel." Jack ordered.

the people at the terminals dotted around the bridge practically tripped over themselves to fulfill his order first.

The broadcast from the Agora cut off abruptly and the screen went dark. The audio from this next call was broadcast directly into Jack's headset. Calls to the Control Core were strictly his ears only.

"Hello, sir."

"Angel, that was perfect! Exactly as I planned it, down to the word. Have I told you I love you lately? because I do."

"Thank you Jack, and yes. Yes, you have."

* * *

 

"There you are kiddo, how're you holding up?"

Rhys lifted his head up from his knees, and hugged his legs even tighter to his chest when he saw Jack standing over him.

"Fine… Just fine."

"My mistake then, I guess you're just hiding under a bush for shits and giggles?"

Rhys would have argued that it wasn't exactly under a bush, more between two of them. There were lots of places like this in the gardens, but this one had proved to be the most effective hiding spot since he was still young enough to play hide and seek.

Come to think of it, this might be the first time anyone had found him here.

Jack nudged Rhys in the thigh with his boot until the prince scooted over to make room for him. Jack sat cross legged on the grass next to Rhys. He didn't say anything for a moment. Just sat with him while the gentle breeze that usually swept through the Acropolis rustled the leaves on the foliage around them.

"Well, that was a total disaster" Jack said.

"yeah" Rhys agreed.

"I mean that glitch was a pain in the ass, but the way you just flipped out? That was so embarrassing. The least you could have done was improvise or something. But you just froze up, like a statue, and I've actually seen people frozen to death so I know what I'm talking about."

Rhys curled up tighter as Jack rambled. He wasn't saying anything that Rhys hadn't already said to himself. He could think of hundreds of things he could have done that would have been better than running away. But in the moment, and on the podium, he had just choked.

"I think it might be time to admit that even I can be wrong sometimes. As sad as it is, not everyone has the natural ability to lead. You got to be born with a certain killer instinct, a clarity of vision, a drive to go after what you want and never look back. But you Rhys? You're just too soft and impressionable to handle it. You're going to get eaten alive out there" Jack continued.

Rhys changed his mind. Hearing Jack say it was actually worse than just telling it to himself. He had only been able to muster the courage to try it because Jack believed in him. But he had somehow managed to screw even that up.

"I do have one last idea. I promised you I would help, and I think I still can. Only it's a little… Well, let's say I wouldn't suggest it if you were anyone else."

A large hand rested on Rhys' lower back. Perfectly innocent for now but firm enough to indicate it might not stay that way for long.

"Eh, screw it, I'll cut to the chase. We should get married. Do the ol' joining our kingdoms thing. You get a new planet. I help you rule. And you get to have me, the one and only Handsome Jack, all to yourself. It's stupid how generous I'm being, honestly."

Rhys eyes widened so far it almost hurt. He… he had herd that correctly? That word, that M-word.

"W-what? You and I… uh… really?" Rhys stammered.

"Well yeah, I mean that's how this game works. Royalty marry other royalty, that's how empires are made, kiddo. Dhu. Conquering planets is fun in all, but it's frikkin time consuming. If I want to put my skills as an emperor to proper use I'm going to need more than just Pandora. I'm way too good to be small time Rhys, and right now that means picking a partner to rise with me."

"But why me?" Rhys asked.

"You're kidding right? I mean you of all people should know the strength of your own empire. Unless you're asking about personal reasons, then it's pretty simple. I don't super relish the idea of getting hitched to some past-her-prime heiress or a pretty little princess who's used to getting her way all the time. So I figure, if I find myself a cute kid I actually have some chemistry with, I better pounce on him" Jack explained.

Rhys looked up at Jack, a few lingering questions from when the king of Pandora had first arrived finally getting concrete answers.

"That's why you came in the first place… and why you wanted to…" Rhys said. Trailing off when he couldn't think of a polite way to bring up the two times they had almost had sex.

"I was going to wait a little longer before making the marriage offer, but since my training didn't work I figure I better use it as a plan B. All you've got to do is tell your citizens you want to wait till after your wedding for the coronation so we can have it together. Then, you don't have to rule alone for even a single day. Brilliant, right?" Jack said.

It did sound brilliant actually. if Rhys could never be Jack, having the real Jack would be the next best thing. Even better in some regards. It would almost be like having his old life back. With someone else taking the burden of the spotlight, while he just needed to stand beside him and look pretty.

"I… I don't… I need to think about it" Rhys admitted.

The hand on his back grabbed his side and squeezed just a little too hard, but before Rhys could tell Jack he was hurting him, he stopped.

"Of course you do, kitten. That's why I'm not bending down on one knee here. I want you to take all the time you need. I mean, it's only the future of trillions of people, no big deal" Jack said.

Jack planted a hand on Rhys chest and shoved the prince down onto his back.

"I do have one final argument to make in my favor, your majesty" Jack purred.

Taking hold of Rhys' shoulders Jack moved in and kissed him. Keeping his weight on Rhys to pin him in place.


	3. The Dog and The Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to dedicate this chapter to caffeine. Without whom none of this would be possible. 
> 
> also as an FYI I put my content warnings into the tags so maybe give those a gander between chapters. I'll update them as it becomes necessary. Also I bumped the rating up to Explicit.

> "Know thyself.
> 
> Nothing in excess.
> 
> Make a pledge and mischief is nigh."
> 
> \- Inscription at the temple of Apollo in Delphi

Jack ended up leaving Attica with exactly as much warning as he had given before arriving.

That is to say, with absolutely none at all.

He did leave an ECHO message. One that Rhys definitely hadn't been playing over and over just to hear Jack's voice and remind himself that those last few days had actually happened.

The gist of the message was that he had something urgent to deal with back on Pandora, and that he would leave his staff at the Acropolis to keep things running while he was gone. Then, at the very end of the message Jack threw in this little reminder.

"-The good news is, this should give you plenty of time to think about my little offer, Cupcake. I know that once you've had your time, you'll make the right decision."

Jack didn't really have to tell him twice. There had hardly been a moment since he had proposed the marriage that Rhys hadn't been thinking about it. Both politically and personally.

The royal court of Athens had been dismissed soon after the death of the emperor, with all the attached nobles returning to their home planets and estates to wait until Rhys reassembled them in whatever fashion fitted his dawning rule.

For the political side of the decision, Rhys had decided to set up a meeting with those two or three who had been closest to his father. He wanted to keep the fact that he was even considering marriage a secret until he had decided. The last thing he needed was a trillion more opinions on whether or not he and Jack made a cute couple and whether or not the age difference was creepy.

The noblemen of Athena were accustomed to marriage arrangements being strategic moves, and provided Rhys with a simple assessment of the situation.

Under normal circumstances, Pandora was too insignificant to be considered a viable marital alliance partner. But the fact that Jack was offering himself instead of an unattached daughter or cousin changed things significantly.

Under Intergalactic marital law, their union would combine both empires permanently. As a rival Pandora was insignificant, but as an asset, it could change the fortunes of many Athenian citizens.

Pandora had brand new cities and countless untapped natural resources, including the precious Eridium that the whole galaxy craved. The prosperity that could follow from such a deal would carry on for centuries past the end of Rhys' Reign.

All were in agreement that the incentives to take the deal were significant, but it all fell apart as soon as the other inevitable consequences were considered.

The fact that Rhys would still be on equal footing with Jack made it a little bit easier to swallow, but no one was exactly thrilled with the idea of handing over that much power.

Traditionally, the title of Prince Consort would be used to draw a line between the heir to the empire and a marriage partner. Quite obviously, that would not be possible in this case. Jack and Rhys would rule together, or not at all.

The question hanging over it all was as simple as, "What's the worst that could happen?" And depending on who you asked, the answer was either "Death doom and destruction." Or "Nothing much really." With very little in-between.

Everyone agreed that Handsome Jack was a dangerous enemy, but if he was a worthy ally was an entirely different question. If his interests lined up with those of the empire, which they inevitably would if he were in partial control of it, there was no reason to think he would do anything but good in his position.

By the time the meeting was over, Rhys had made up his mind. Politically speaking, marrying Jack was a good idea. Though not such a good idea that he would be stupid not to take it. Jack's intentions were uncertain enough that caution was understandable. Few people would fault Rhys for not gambling with the crown. At least not till hundreds of years in the future, when they were writing the history books.

And so, everything came down to him. He could politically justify both courses of action. So, short of flipping a coin he could go with whatever he wanted to do best.

So Rhys scheduled a second meeting, this time with his own advisors. His three best friends. He didn't know exactly how they would react, but he had a feeling they wouldn't be so ready to see the marriage as a simple political maneuver.

They were gathered around the counter in a small kitchen on the second floor. Where the staff often prepared breakfasts to be served in bed.

Rhys also had a plate of cookies delivered, reasoning that big news was better received on a full stomach.

Once Sasha, Vaughn, and Fiona were seated and eating, Rhys launched into telling an abridged version of what had happened in the garden.

When he finished, he was left with three pairs of eyes staring blankly at him. Vaughn had taken a bite of chocolate chip and had yet to start chewing.

"Sorry, are… are you done? I'm still waiting for the part of the story where you politely decline Jack's offer and run away screaming like a sensible person would" Fiona said.

Rhys shifted from his left foot to his right. The awkward atmosphere getting thicker by the second.

"Come on guys, we all knew this was coming at some point. Alliances have to be made and marriage is how they get formalized. This is a little sooner than expected. But, a lot of things are happening sooner than expected" Rhys said.

"But you have a choice about this one" Fiona countered. "Don't you want to, I don't know, spend a little more time with him before you decide if you want to get married?"

"My dad hadn't even met my mother before she arrived to help plan the wedding" Rhys replied. "And if I don't go with Jack, that's probably what will happen to me too."

Silence crept in again after he finished speaking. No one was making eye contact with him. Fiona was staring at her hands, lips pursed into an unreadable line. Vaughn looked seriously concerned, and Sasha was clearly seething under a veneer of calm.

"I Know he's way older and it's kind of uncomfortable. But it's exactly what we need right now, isn't it? Jack will be a much better emperor then I will. I mean, just think about how awful these last few months have been. And he was able to fix most of it in like two days. Sure, he's kind of terrifying, but he'll be on our side. I talked to dad's advisors-"

"Bro, look, we know it's good politics, but do you really want this?" Vaughn asked.

Rhys hesitated for a moment, his head was still in the strategic mindset. Mostly because that was the easiest way to process the decision he was trying to make.

"I um… well yeah, kind of" Rhys replied. Which was an abridged version of what he was really thinking. The longer one being somewhere along the lines of. 'Yes, I do. More than I'm even comfortable thinking about. He makes my insides melt in the best ways and I can't stop wondering how rough he would be with me in bed.'

"I know it's not love, but it's way closer than I thought I would ever get. And with time, who knows? He's a little eccentric, but he's also funny and kind of sweet" Rhys added.

"Are you even hearing the words coming out of your mouth right now?" Sasha snapped.

All eyes turned to Sasha. Who had finally snapped out of her anger induced trance.

"Sasha, don't-" Fiona started, but her sister drowned her out.

"Doesn't this seem a little to convenient, Rhys? Jack proposes to you right when he has everything to gain?" Sasha asked.

Rhys first reaction was to stare at her in confusion, but part of his brain was already putting together the pieces and he didn't like where this was going one bit.

"What-?"

"You're only in a position where you need him because your father is dead, and he only stands to gain anything because of that. It's basic math Rhys. One plus one." Sasha said.

Rhys could hardly believe what he thought she was implying. She thought Jack had somehow killed his father, or at least had something to do with it.

"T-that was an accident. All the reports agreed on a technical malfunction, I read all of them" Rhys said. Calm for now, but the strain was growing.

"Accidents can be faked. I don't have any proof, but I can feel it in my gut. This whole situation stinks Rhys."

"Well, you're feeling is wrong. I know you dislike jack, but bringing my father into this is really over the line. I'm asking you nicely, please drop it."

"No, I won't drop it! You're thinking about marrying the man who killed your father. This is not the time to drop anything!"

Sasha didn't even bother implying it that time. Her words were like grinding a handful of salt into the wounds that had only started healing since Jack had distracted Rhys from them.

He didn't want to be angry with Sasha. He was dumping all this on her, even though he knew how she felt about Jack. She couldn't understand how Jack felt like the only good thing that had happened to him in months.

She was just trying to protect him. Even if this was going way too far.

"I… I think I need to leave for a bit" Rhys said. His tone dangerously neutral.

He swept from the room with a bluntness that was bred into the noble class. Sasha stood from her stool, making to follow him before Fiona grabbed her arm.

"You're running away again? Rhys, are you even listening to me, you can't-"

But Rhys was already through the kitchen door and had slammed it behind him.

* * *

 

"We've just gotten word of an ongoing situation taking place in downtown Delphi. Our on-the-ground correspondent is standing outside of the parliament buildings and near the downtown core. Sheila, how's the situation down there?"

There was an awkward pause as the live feed was switched on, then a blond woman appeared on screen. She was clutching a microphone and standing in front of a large fortress-like building with an ivory colored clock tower in its center.

"The situation here is tense Dave. We've just got confirmation that they're hostages trapped inside the buildings of parliament. Current estimations say that there could be up to three hundred victims, since the house was in session when the attack took place. The terrorists responsible have yet to identify themselves, but nearby witness testimony alleges that two sirens are among the perpetrators."

She finished speaking and the camera switched back to a view of the newsroom, catching the primary news anchor with his mouth hanging wide open. Someone from off screen caught his attention and brought him back into the moment with a flinch.

"S-Sirens? I sorry Sheila, did you say two Sirens?

"Yes, two Sirens. Multiple sources report seeing them utilizing Phase-abilities. It's unknown if-"

Sheila trailed off and placed a hand to her ear. Her face contorting in concentration.

"I'm just getting word that demands have been made. The perpetrators wish to speak to the crown prince and heir apparent. They're insisting no harm will come to the hostages if he comes in person."

"That's quite the unusual demand, has word been sent to the Prince?"

"As far as we know, Prince Rhys has been in transit from Athens since the beginning of this situation and should be arriving shortly."

"I must say Sheila, I don't envy him having to make this decision"

* * *

 

"Your majesty, are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?"

Rhys couldn't answer right away. Several hands were tugging at his chest. Fastening hidden buckles and straps in the modular tactical vest he was being fitted into. It fit tightly, almost like his formal suits, but significantly less ostentatious.

The primary specialist doing the armor fitting pushed Rhys' head up to fasten a padded ring around his neck, fitting it under the rim of the helmet Rhys was already wearing.

The Chief of Operations of the Athenian Navy, though Rhys was on familiar enough terms to just call her Yvette, crossed her arms over her chest. She looked a bit like a schoolteacher who was trying really hard to hint that, while the decision was Rhys' to make, he was making the wrong one.

"I can't let people die just because I didn't want to talk to somebody" Rhys said. He stared out straight ahead of him, up along the abandoned path leading to the main doors of the parliament buildings. Near the doors makeshift barricades had been made of broken desks and chairs. According to intel, there was a sniper hiding behind one of them, and keeping a lookout for the main group inside with the hostages.

"With all due respect, that is nowhere near an accurate summary of the situation going on right now. We're dealing with a completely unknown enemy. So now is basically the worst time to be taking risks" Yvette replied.

Her language was rather casual for a four-star admiral, one of many indicators that Yvette was very young for her position. She had been handpicked by Rhys' father to be his right hand in all naval matters, and so, had skipped a few steps on her way up.

"It's only a few hundred meters to the meeting point. And they have to know you guys will be protecting me with everything you've got. If this is really an assassination attempt, then it's going to fail pretty quickly" Rhys argued.

The specialist fastened a belt tight around Rhys' hips. Adding a bulletproof codpiece to the front of Rhys pants.

Last but not least, a Pangolin shield was attached to the front of Rhys chest. Rhys had once seen this model in testing, and knew it could take the brunt of a small nuclear explosion. Even with multiple guns firing at him at once, Rhys would have more than enough time to get to safety before it shattered.

He tapped the shield as it powered up and gave Yvette a smile that was a lot more confident than he felt.

"See, like a turtle made of diamond. I'll be fine."

Whether or not a shield meant to take bullets and explosions would be able to protect him against a siren was a question he left un-asked, and Rhys was hoping to do this fast enough that no one would have the chance to ask.

Now that he was suited up, Rhys joined up with the four officers waiting at the border of the police barricade that had been erected around parliament. Crises negotiations had settled on four as a compromise. Enough to surround the prince on all sides.

Rhys was less than pleased to be using anyone as a human shield, but the strength in numbers would protect them all. If they didn't allow a straight shot at the prince, then the likelihood of an attack would decrease.

They moved into formation. Rhys was used to being surrounded like this, and fell into it as easily as if he had the same training as the men around him.

A signal was given to the negotiator, he relayed the message that the prince was about to start approaching the building along the pre-agreed path.

There were only about thirty steps to be walked, but each one seemed to take a whole minute to complete. They waited beside the fountain in the middle of the parliament courtyard. Rhys watched the doors for his first sight of the terrorists that had thrown one of his biggest cities into chaos and lockdown.

When he laid eyes on her, Rhys thought for sure he must be dreaming. Because honestly, who took governmental hostages wearing jeans with one leg torn up and her red hair slicked up like she was planning on going to a rock concert after this?

The next woman to walk down the stairs wasn't any better. Her combat pants rested so low on her hips that a yellow leotard needed to be worn underneath it. Both had a lattice of blue tattoos decorating one half of their body, most obvious on the arms.

So these were the Sirens. Mystical woman with the ability to manipulate the fabric of reality. Rhys had to admit, his galactic history books had made them out to be a touch more mysterious than this was living up to.

The sniper came out from behind the barricade as they passed him, and behind him two more. A man with the rough proportions of a concert outhouse in a leather jacket with the arms torn off, and another in vaguely military-esc clothing and well-kept brown hair that wouldn't seem out of place on a boyband member.

"Vault Hunters…"

Rhys wasn't sure who out of his escort made the comment. But it instantly clicked with the ragtag group approaching him. But that only led to the larger question of why treasure hunters would be attacking his empire. As far as he knew, none of his planets had any vaults. One or two Eridian ruins, yes, but those were all open to the public as museums and heritage sites. If they wanted to visit they could have just gotten tickets.

The redhead greeted Rhys with a slight nod of her head and a simple question.

"Sup?"

Rhys tilted his head to the side like a dog that had just heard an unfamiliar sound.

"Oh, um…. Nothing much? I'm Just ah... Dealing with a hostage situation that you seem to be causing" He replied.

"Fair enough" She agreed with a shrug. "I'm Lilith, by the way, and this is Maya, Mordecai, Brick and Axton."

Each of the Vault Hunters nodded as they were introduced. The names by-and-large suited the person they were attached to, especially Brick.

"Nice to meet you?" Rhys said. His sense of politeness carrying him through even as his rational mind was struggling to keep up.

"Before we start, I wish to apologize for the rather unfortunate method we had to use to get your attention, your majesty. We never intended to harm any of your parliament members, but it was necessary to insure this meeting" Maya said, stepping in beside her fellow siren as co-negotiator.

"Right, and I supposed there's a reason you couldn't just have called me?" Rhys asked.

"ECHO net communications can be monitored. This is for your safety more then ours." Lilith replied, tilting her hips and resting her hand there. "Handsome Jack won't be the least bit pleased if he finds out you declined his marriage proposal because of what we told you. He might try to take it out on you and your empire."

Rhys was so shocked he actually stepped back, bumping into the guard behind him.

"W-whoa, whoa, whoa. How the hell do you even know about that? That isn't public knowledge. I don't even know who the hell you guys are" Rhys said.

Maya lifted her hands in an effort to look placating, though the submachine gun sitting on her shoulder ruined her attempt a smidge.

"We do not have the luxury of time Rhys. You must understand that there are things going on you have no concept of, and that the repercussions of this choice you've been given far surpass anything you can imagine. The fate of our universe itself is hanging in the balance" Maya explained.

Lilith snorted and shot Rhys a condescending look.

"I can't believe you even need a reason to shove that offer back in his plastic face. Handsome Jack is a dick, a murderous, psychopathic dick. Whatever he's told you kid, it was all a lie. He's just using you to get more power" She said.

"Well, um… thanks for the relationship advice, random strangers who just held up a bunch of innocent people at gunpoint. I'll be sure to think long and hard about that one" Rhys replied.

Sarcasm wasn't the best tool for diplomatic negotiations, but Rhys didn't know how else to react. This was like a nightmare. These Vault Hunters were probably just his subconscious torturing him about the difficult decisions he had yet to make.

"Okay, so, if you're done lecturing me, would you mind returning the hostages?" Rhys asked.

Maya touched Lilith's shoulder before she could reply and spoke for her instead.

"If you will not take our assessment of his character, so be it. But you must know that Jack has a weapon. An ancient Eridian vault monster that he freed from Pandora. If-"

A crackle from Lilith's ECCO cut Maya off mid-sentence. A female voice burst through the speakers, apparently bypassing the need to pick up the incoming call or set it on speaker.

"Lilith! Are you there? I've been trying to contact you, he restructured the firewalls behind my back and I only just got through, but you need to get out of there right now! Jack is-"

A high pitched whistling drowned the voice out, just as Rhys was trying to place it. He recognized her from someplace, but-

"Get down!"

Rhys looked up just in time to see a ball of pure fire cutting through the atmosphere before he was shoved to the concrete by two of his guards.

The impact of the projectile hitting the ground sent out a Shockwave that rattled Rhys' teeth inside his head.

Rhys pushed himself up with his hands. The two guards who had followed him to the ground were kneeling beside him, while the others were standing with guns raised.

The sounds of mechanical parts powering up and shifting position filled the stunned silence. The grassy part of the parliamentary courtyard was now mostly a gigantic crater of dirt with a hunk of yellow and gray metal in its center.

The hunk was moving, first a pair of legs lifted the main body of the robot up. Then it unfolded its arms. All six of them topped with cannons that looked like a hybrid of a machine gun and a rocket launcher.

It's torso and shoulders formed a T made out of one uninterrupted piece of steel, and perched on the very top was its head and a single pulsing red eye. At its full height, the robot was tall enough to head-butt the parliamentary clock tower.

"Bandit cleansing commenced. Firing main guns."

All six autocannons swiveled in unison aiming for the gaggle of Vault Hunters. Guns were digistructed into hands or pulled off of shoulders and the five Vault Hunters scattered.

"Badass!" Lilith screamed. Just in case anyone had missed the gigantic fuck-off robot.

Gunfire hit like a flash thunderstorm. The individual sounds of shots and impacts running together into a single roar.

Rhys' shield flickered as it caught stray bullets. Hands wrapped under his arms and Rhys was helped to his feet. Without a doubt, this was the time for extraction. Their shields were holding, but they weren't exactly rated for being stepped on by robots the size of most houses.

Rhys ran with his head down, flanked by his guards. Behind them the robot took a long stride towards its attackers. Its foot hitting the ground felt like miniature earthquake, and Rhys would have tripped, had one of his guards not been holding his arms.

They reached the barricade bearing the logo of the Delphi police department and Rhys dove for cover under the translucent barrier shields erected over them. He slumped to the ground, holding his chest as he panted. He really would have to consider taking up short distance sprinting as a sport. It seemed to be a required skill, if his few weeks of being kinda-emperor were any indication.

Police and a few marines on lone for the crises were getting into position to fire on the gigantic robot. Rhys, gave up on allowing himself to recover, and staggered to his feet.

"Don't shoot. That's one of Handsome Jack's loader bots. It won't attack us!" He yelled. Straining to be heard over the gunfire.

The officers hesitated, but didn't lower their weapons. Yvette nodded to Rhys and gave them the signal to stand down.

Rhys was one coronation away from becoming Commander-and-Chief, but apparently his orders weren't considered mandatory just yet. It was probably him, not the fact he hadn't gotten the official title yet. They likely would have listened to Jack, just from the sheer force he used while barking orders.

Speaking of, where the hell had that loader even come from?

Rhys looked up into the sky, but he couldn't see any ships. The whistling sound from before pierced the air, and another two fireballs streaked across the sky. They hit the ground inside the crater left by the first loader bot and unfolded into smaller (but still massive when compared to an average human) bots with bright red paint and machine guns for arms.

Rhys would have almost thought it overkill, if it wasn't for the fact the Vault Hunters were still alive and landing shot after shot. Maya lifted her hand and black energy wrapped around one of the arms of the huge loader bot, ripping it clean off its hinge. While Mordecai was sinking slugs into its optics.

Rhys watched them for a moment. On the one hand, he should be very concerned, because this battle was happening right outside the building where hundreds of innocent people were trapped inside. On the other, this was the most badass thing he had ever been witness to. Even counting movies and video games.

Then a glimpse of yellow parted the clouds and a Hyperion cruiser joined the party. This ship made Jack's, space yacht look like the plastic toy it really was. The cruiser was roughly the size and shape of an office tower on its side, with enormous lateral engines bound into its wings so it could hover in the air while inside the gravitational pull of a planet. Mounted into its underside was a huge cannon perfect for shooting orbital missiles. Which probably explained where the loader bots had come from.

It was way too dangerous to use up close, but now the ship was low enough to the ground, robots could survive simply jumping from the hull to join the fray.

Rhys took in the battle again, trying to size up the odds from what information he could gather. It didn't take long for him to notice something strange though. He counted the Vault Hunters just to make sure. Giving time for the flames and explosions to clear.

After another moment or two he was certain, there were only four Vault Hunters taking part in the battle. One siren, one sniper, a commando, and whatever brick was supposed to be.

So where was Lilith?

The thought had just finished crossing Rhys' mind when something hit him hard. A shockwave of black energy caught him in the chest and sent the prince flying. A cold chill cut into Rhys, a feeling of dread and a sense of a power beyond his understanding.

Rhys' shield shattered, the little purple light in its center blinking out as its capacity failed. Rhys heard the impact of his guards landing somewhere behind him. If they were half as winded as he felt, they wouldn't be in any shape to come to his rescue.

Lilith was standing over him. Her whole body cloaked in flame and a pair of wings made of pure fire protruding from her back.

"Sorry kid, there's too much at risk if I let you live. Next time, pick your side better" Lilith said.

She lifted the pistol in her right hand, the barrel pointed at Rhys' face. She moved her finger to the trigger, about to squeeze.

Rhys heard something that sounded like electronic wind chimes. Out of thin air, a fist with a single steel ring lashed out, catching Lilith right between the eyes. She fell, hitting the ground just as the cloaking device finished releasing.

Jack reached for his hip, freeing his own pistol and pointing it at the downed siren.

"Ooh, how does that taste, Lilith? You fell for your own trick you-"

Jack opened fire. Lilith's shield ate the bullets, but it was clearly straining under the sheer damage output of Jack's Hyperion pistol.

"Stupid-"

More gunshots, Lilith was standing up now. A large red spot on the bridge of her nose where Jack had hit her.

"Traitorous-"

Lilith raised the arm decorated with tattoos, summoning her powers. Jack dropped a hand from his pistol and grabbed a device from his pocket. It popped open into the shape of a collar. Seeing it, Lilith leapt away from him.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast with the freaky shit, babe. Unless you really miss being my bitch" Jack snarled.

Lilith looked like she would have walked on the surface of the sun just to return Jack's punch to the face. Her flaming wings flared, but she kept her distance. She was scared. Rhys could see that now. The kind of fear that's as much physical as it is mental. Like the flinching of a dog who expects raised voices to come with pain.

Then she vanished in a flash of black energy. So fast it was like she had simply stepped out of this plane of existence.

Jack screamed in frustration, firing at the empty air where Lilith had just been.

"No, you don't! Get back here you-"

The rest of Jack's sentence devolved into hate-filled gibberish as he searched for his lost target. She reappeared beside her Vault Hunter friends, seemingly forgetting about Jack in favor of his robot reinforcements.

Jack shoved his gun back into its holster. His mixed eyes finally falling to the Athenian prince. Rhys' chest tightened and he momentarily forgot how to breath. Jack had just saved his life, and done it so spectacularly it easily beat out the vault hunter battle for the most amazing thing he had ever witnessed.

Jack offered his hand to Rhys but the prince was far too stunned to take it. Jack huffed and kneeled down next to Rhys instead. Large hands patted the front of Rhys' chest, then down to his sides as Jack checked for injuries.

Rhys wanted to say something, but all the words inside his head boiled down to some variation of 'oh my god that was so epic, I love you!'

"You're fine, kiddo. Get up," Jack ordered.

Rhys obeyed so quickly you would have thought he had been trained.

"J-Jack… Where the heck did you even come from? How did you?" Rhys asked.

Jack placed both hands on Rhys' shoulders, squeezing them tightly and digging his thumbs into Rhys' collarbone.

"Cloaking device and knowing how that bitch operates. I'll explain later, but now you're going to shut up and do exactly what I tell you. Because if that bandit scum manages to take you away from me, this whole fucking universe will regret it."

Rhys stared up at Jack, he probably should have been blushing at this point, but the blood flow had other urgent commitments somewhere further down than his cheeks.

He probably shouldn't have found the idea of Jack going on a murderous rampage of revenge hot, but damn, it really was.

"Y-yes, Jack" Rhys agreed.

Jack turned to the nearest of Rhys' guards who were just recovering from whatever Lilith had used to incapacitate them.

"What the hell are you bastards doing? Your prince is exposed out here. Get him inside, and do it now!"

True to Rhys' prediction they leapt to follow Jack's orders. Two of his guards took him firmly by the arm and escorted him back towards the ship he had arrived in. Rhys glanced over his shoulder, watching as Jack turned his full attention to the battle raging on the lawn.

The largest bot was down to only two arms and a leg and a half. But Even if the Vault Hunters destroyed all of Jack's robotic reinforcements, they were still surrounded by the local police and his naval forces, and stuck on a planet that had shut down all off-world travel until they were brought down or captured.

There was no escape for them at this point, and all they had to show for it was a failed assassination attempt and some nebulous threats.

Lilith was doing her thing. Popping from one of her accomplices to another, probably relaying orders or information. When she had completed her rounds, the Vault Hunters started to regroup, huddling in together.

It seemed odd that they were making themselves into a bigger target. One well timed grenade and they would all be without shields. When they were all standing within arm's reach of each other, Lilith clasped her hands together and a Shockwave of her black power cascaded out from her body.

Jack screamed to his loader bots, but the volley of gun and rocket fire came too late. Obliterating the ground where the five Vault Hunters had been standing.

They were at the door of his ship now and Rhys was hustled inside before he could see more.

* * *

 

While getting into his ship had only taken a few moments, talking his way past his guards to get out took almost a full hour. Again, probably something that shouldn't happen to the emperor, but Yvette was still calling the shots, and she hadn't given the all clear.

When Rhys was finally able to step back into the courtyard, the ambulances had moved to the front of the barricades and the members of parliament were being examined for injury and psychological distress.

much to Rhys' relief, Jack was still present. He was talking to Yvette and they seemed to be on friendly terms. Rhys had been a little worried about that, seeing as Jack had crashed her operation with his robots and escalated the situation by several notches.

Still, it had all worked out in the end. There were no casualties, (unless you counted the front lawn) and the hostage situation had been resolved only five hours after it had started. The only sour note was the escape of the perpetrators.

Since meeting them, Rhys had learned that all five Vault Hunters were dangerous fugitives from Pandora. With multi-million dollar bounties on their heads on offer from Hyperion. Various news outlets were already speculating on why Pandora outlaws had shown up in Delphi, but everyone had managed to dig up that picture of the Athenian prince kissing Handsome Jack and were putting one and two together.

Rhys patience strained tighter and tighter as he got closer to Jack, and when he was near enough to speak to him, he ended up throwing himself at the older man instead.

His robotic and human fingers clutched Jack's lapel, and he buried his face into the bit of yellow sweater sticking out the top of his leather vest.

Jack gasped from the impact, teetering a bit on his feet from the sudden shift in balance.

"Whoa there, kiddo! Take it easy on ol' Jack," he chided.

"Sorry… I just- I mean, thanks for saving me" Rhys stammered. "That was seriously the coolest thing I've ever seen."

"Don't sweat it cupcake. It's just what heroes like me do" Jack replied, moving his hand down Rhys' back as the prince clung to him.

Yvette didn't interrupt them, but Rhys could practically feel her eyebrows raising at them.

Rhys would have liked to stay like that for longer, but the hour in his ship half given him a lot of time to think and he was dying to have his suspicions confirmed.

"Jack, that Siren who attacked me, was she the phoenix you told me about?"

Jack huffed, and Rhys couldn't help but enjoy the rise and fall of his chest.

"Very frustratingly, yes. Turns out she's not as dead as I would like, once again. But you know what they say, third times the charm."

Jack slipped his fingers into Rhys' hair and tilted his head back until their eyes met.

"But what I really want to know, is what little Lilith wanted with you? Besides you dead, of course."

Rhys bit his bottom lip. That had also been something he had been thinking about while he was in confinement.

"About that… Could you come with me for a second? I need to make an announcement and I think you'll want to be present" Rhys said.

"Alright, but this better be good."

"It will be."

Reporters were crowded around the very edge of the police barricades. Behind one or two officers who were keeping an eye on them so they didn't try to overstep the boundaries of the active crime scene.

As they saw Rhys approaching, there was a flurry of activity. The cameras started rolling and microphones raised. A twist of anxiety started in Rhys' gut, but he was far to set on his goal to let it grow any stronger. He was high on Adrenaline and the fresh memory of having a gun shoved in his face, so there was no way he was going to let a little stage fright stand in his way now.

Jack hung back a few paces while Rhys stepped right up to the barrier. Which was odd, since Jack normally basked in the attention of the cameras. Rhys supposed that for the moment he was being interesting enough to deserve Jack's full attention.

Microphones fought for space in front of Rhys and he stared up into a dozen shoulder-mounted television cameras. Rhys decided he didn't even have to ask if they were rolling so he launched into his speech.

"People of Athenia, you are no doubt wondering why these terrorists attacked our city and demanded to see me in person. I wish to inform you of what I was told, and make a very important announcement. You see, when I confronted the perpetrators, I was met with threats meant to prevent an alliance I was negotiating with Pandora."

A flurry of questions followed that statement, all overlapping one another. Rhys raised his hand and silence returned, no one wanting to miss what the prince might say next.

"but, it was through the very connections I have made with Pandora and Hyperion that the situation was resolved without bloodshed. Today we were shown a display of courage and loyalty that speaks to the spirit and the heart of our own nation."

Rhys looked back at Jack, to remind himself he was making the right choice. Jack had his arms crossed over his chest and his hips cocked, just like the space cowboy he was. A classic heroic image, his hero.

"I would not be standing before you at this moment if it wasn't for Handsome Jack. So, it's clear to me now that this is the best path forward for our empires, and that this union was meant to be."

Rhys reached out and took Jack's hand. Rhys turned to face him, nervous energy flooding through him as he braced himself for the important part.

"Jack, I would like to formally accept your marriage proposal."

Blue and green eyes widened and perfect eyebrows rose as Rhys' words sunk in. Then a smirk curled up the right side of Jack's masked lips. Delight overwriting the surprise.

"Now, that's no fair. You should have given me some warning; I would have gotten you a ring!" Jack scolded. He grabbed the prince by the front of his body armor, bringing Rhys closer 'till they were chest to chest.

"I suppose a kiss will have to do, hhun, Pumpkin?"

Rhys lips were pushed open as soon as they collided with Jack's. If the open mouthed kiss looked half as graphic as it felt, Rhys knew exactly which picture would be on the front of every news site in the next five minutes.

Throwing arousal on top of the pile of stress that had been today proved to be the last straw. If he had anything more to say Rhys didn't remember it.

Rhys clung to Jack's arm as he was led away from the press and their follow up questions.

"That was pretty ballsy. I'm actually impressed" Jack said. "Not that you're ever going to be in danger from those bandits again, if I have anything to say about it. But even so, pretty ballsy."

Rhys shrugged. He really couldn't have seen himself taking any other course of action. His pride had been bred into him since he was barely old enough to walk. Just the thought of making a compromise with people who attacked his citizens made him sick, never mind living with that guilt.

"Yo! Yvette, I'm taking my **Fiancé** back to Athens in my ship. Any objections?" Jack called, putting emphases on that all-important word in the middle.

"If his majesty wants to. Then no, I don't" She replied. Nodding to Rhys and turning back to her conversation with her marines.

"I like her. She's efficient. I'll be sure to keep her once I'm in command" Jack said.

Rhys thought of reminding Jack that they would technically be sharing command, but he really had no interest in the military side of things outside of how cool they looked. Jack would do a far better job of it.

Jack leaned close to Rhys, speaking softly so only the prince could hear.

"Now, I hate to spoil my surprises, but you should know that I find declarations of loyalty unbearably sexy. So you and I are going to be pretty busy on our little ride home, capisce?"

Rhys swallowed and nodded.

* * *

 

The body armor had been fun to wear for a short period of time, but Rhys was glad to be out of it now. It restricted his movement and messed with his sense of where his body began and ended.

Come to think of it, though, those were also two sensations he felt when tangled up with Jack.

Jack's bedroom aboard his ship was a lot like his office back on Helios, but with a bed as the focal point instead of his desk.

Jack was sitting with his back against the headboard, Rhys in his lap. Above them was a skylight and the infinite expanse of the universe, but Rhys was too preoccupied to give its magnificence more than a second glance.

The prince was shaking, tense with nerves. A polar opposite to Jack, who moved with the lazy ease of a serpent. Effortlessly comfortable in his own skin.

Jack's teeth marks decorated every part of Rhys' body. Each given as a little treat as a different article of clothing was removed. Of all of them, the one on the inside of his thigh was the most distracting. The fading sting of pain made him imagine holding his legs open for Jack.

Now he was naked, well they both were, and lying together. Close enough to feel all the tiny differences in their builds. The best way Rhys could describe the difference was 'rugged'. It made him feel even more like the milk-fed kid he was. He didn't even have a single scar, though if he did, it would probably have been something lame, like surgery or falling off his bicycle.

He longed to go over each and every one of Jack's scars and ask for the stories behind them, but Rhys would be lucky to get two words out at the moment.

"I was wondering if you would calm down if I stopped for a bit. Guess survey says no, hhm?" Jack observed.

Rhys chuckled nervously and nodded.

"You're just one big pile of first times, ain't cha? It's a good thing I'm going to have so much time to break you in" Jack said with a chuckle.

One of Jack's large hands pressed against Rhys' flat tummy. Rhys tensed up, anticipating the slow slide downwards even before jack started the movement.

"It's kind of like getting a brand new puppy. You're so full of energy and Just begging to be taught new tricks."

Rhys had wondered occasionally how different it would feel if someone else wrapped their fingers around his cock. But he had never accounted for the possibility of rough, calloused hands, and a firm grip used to clutching the butt of a gun.

His moan in response was utterly pornographic, high pitched, breathy, and paired with an arch of his shoulders. He lifted his right hand, biting down on the metal fingers to keep himself quiet.

"-But we're going to take this nice and slow. So you can savor every new thing I teach you. Then a few years from now you'll be a natural. Just like me. You'd like that, wouldn't you, babe?" Jack asked.

Rhys nodded. Jack clicked his tongue and grabbed the Prince's cybernetic wrist, forcing his hand away from his mouth.

"Ah ah, use your words."

Rhys swallowed hard and did as he was told.

"Ye-yes, I would…"

"That-a boy. Get on your hands and knees. We should work on your posture first."

Rhys didn't really want to leave his comfortable spot on Jack's chest, but he wanted to be good and do what he was told, so he got himself up and crawled to the middle of the bed. He braced his palms against the mattress and held his backside in the air.

Handing over control to Jack was starting to become second nature for Rhys. It felt so good to have the weight of responsibility taken away after a lifetime of bearing twenty planets worth of it.

"Not too shabby, kiddo. Just hold your head up and push your thighs together nice and tight" Jack ordered.

Rhys made the changes, fitting his knees together so his legs were pressed as close together as possible. Jack's hand came down hard on Rhys' backside and the prince jolted. Almost falling out of his pose.

The same hand came back to rub the sore spot a second later, spreading the warmth from the slap even further.

"Mmmhm, your ass looks even cuter with a little bit of red on it" Jack purred.

Jack took his hands back and the bed shifted as he moved about behind the prince. Rhys couldn't turn around to see without breaking his pose, so he bit his bottom lip and forced himself to wait.

A moment later, two fingers pushed in between Rhys' closed thighs. They were coated in something sticky… no, more slippery, and just a tiny bit too cold for comfort.

"Normally, I prefer to do this with the ladies. But your thighs are just as soft as any woman's. So this should be just perfect" Jack said.

Rhys decided that might as well be a compliment and hummed appreciatively.

Adding so much lube that it was dripping down the inside of his legs was probably overkill, but it felt pretty good. Sloppy and messy in all the right ways.

"Keep your thighs pushed nice and close. The tighter it is, the happier I'll be, and when Handsome Jack is happy, everyone is."

"Yes, whatever you say" Rhys replied.

He really does mean whatever Jack says, whatever jack wants. Rhys already feels so indebted to Jack, for well, everything really. He couldn't think of much he wouldn't be ready to give if asked at this moment.

It was strange at first. The heat between his legs and getting used to the repetitive motions. Jacks short fingernails digging painfully into his hips.

Jack's right hand reached underneath Rhys and closed around him again. He had left his ring on and Rhys could really feel the little band of metal mixed in with eveythign else.

Halfway through Jack ordered Rhys to switch positions and lay on his back with his legs folded over jack's right shoulder.

Rhys like this pose better, mostly because he got to look at Jack and see how the king grit his teeth and the intense stare that made him want to stretch his arms out and make himself into more of a show.

Jack was the reason they came together, he adjusted the pace of the hand pumping Rhys cock whenever the young prince got to close. It must have been pure experience, or maybe Rhys was just easy to read.

It made a mess of Rhys' lower tummy. One that Jack took his time admiring before allowing Rhys to go wash up.

Rhys was surprised to find Jack still awake when he came back. He was sitting up in bed a bit and fiddling with his watch ECCO. Somehow Rhys had had Jack pegged as the 'fall asleep right afterwards' kind.

"What the hell are you waiting for, Rhysie? Cuddling after sex is mandatory" Jack said, patting the side of the bed next to him.

Not having to be told twice, the prince came over and curled up under the yellow (and Hyperion logo emblazed, naturally) comforter.

He fit well against jack's side. His head resting on Jack's shoulder as he finished whatever it was he was doing with his arm around the Prince.

They fell asleep together like that, and all Rhys could think about was how the rest of his life would be like this, and how, for the first time since his father died, he wasn't scared about the future.

* * *

 

Rhys woke up before Handsome Jack. Outside the windows and through the skylight, the stars had been replaced with a clear blue sky.

Rhys extracted himself gently from his sleeping partner and very carefully shifted out of bed. He went looking for his clothes and decided to pick up Jack's while he was at it, and soon he ended up with two neatly folded piles forming at the foot of the bed.

Then he got to Jack's gunmetal gray jacket, and something fell from the pocket as he picked it up. It hit the carpet and popped open with a click.

The collar rolled a little further before hitting the open space where the fastening device was and toppling over.

Rhys bent down and picked it up. It was about an inch thick and padded on the inside with memory foam behind a layer of high-tec synthetic material that felt smooth against the skin. Above the padding there were four tiny protrusions with perfectly rounded metal balls at their tips. If he were wearing the collar they would rest against the bare skin.

It had to be very special if Jack carried it around and didn't simply digistruct it when needed.

Curiosity took over and Rhys lifted the collar to his neck. Keeping it open as he tried it on. He wasn't sure exactly why he did it, but knowing the collar belonged to Jack and imagining Jack's hands closing it around his neck made him feel hot all over.

"Drop it!"

The barked order made Rhys flintch and automatically let go of the collar. It hit the floor again and Jack stepped forward to snatch it up. Rhys opened his mouth to apologize, but Jack cut him off.

"Ah, da-da-da, this toy is not for you to play with. It's very dangerous. You could hurt yourself."

Jack folded the collar up and held it tight in his hand, drawing Rhys attention away from it and towards him.

"But if you want one, I'd be happy to make another, just for you. In fact, I was just wondering how I was going to introduce you to the idea of wearing one. I guess you were just so eager you beat me to it."

Jack took Rhys chin in his hand and tilted the prince's head back to get a good look at his long slender neck. Envisioning how the band might sit.

"You're all mine now Rhys and you love it. Don't you?"

"Yeah, I do."


	4. The Frogs Desiring a King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I said I wouldn't do chapter content warnings but please be aware this part contains deliberately psychologically/physically harmful misapplication of BDSM techniques. To put it another way, don't take Dom tips from Handsome Jack. Just don't.
> 
> Also huge thanks to [Ryuu09](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryuu09/pseuds/Ryuu09) for putting in a ton of work editing this chapter for me.

> “He knows the words but not the music.”
> 
> -H.C. Quay on the nature of the Psychopath

When merging interplanetary empires, even simple things, like which planet the wedding was going to be held on, bordered on high politics.

The coronation had to happen at the Erechtheion in Athens. For traditional reasons, as well as some legal ones built into Athenian law in the early stages of its development. So, the only point of flexibility was where the wedding took place.

To that end, Jack had suggested they hold it on-board Moonbase Helios. Even offering to reconstruct several areas into a suitable venue for the event.

Not having it on Pandora itself was a little unusual, but since the whole point was to accommodate Jack's wishes it was easily accepted.

The timeline was another matter altogether. Jack didn't want to drag this out, and Rhys was inclined to agree. The sooner this was all over, the sooner the public would find another topic for their attention and the sooner things would all go back to normal.

Even so, two months was crazy tight to plan an event that would, by necessity, have to play host to thousands of dignities from all over the solar system. But Jack was confident he could pull it off.

Or he could hire enough staff to pull it off, anyway. Didn't really matter.

To accommodate the tight timeline, Rhys had agreed to spend a large portion of those two months on Helios. Where he could be easily reached for fittings and decision making, among other things.

Rhys also couldn't help but think it would be nice to get away from Athens for a bit. Nothing drew the media like a royal wedding, and palace security were having a hard time keeping paparazzi at bay. A situation not helped by the central location and open air design of the Acropolis.

Then there was Rhys' friends. Vaughn and Fiona took the news alright, but Sasha hadn't spoken to him since. Word in the royal guard grapevine was she was digging up all the info she could about the shuttle crash that had taken the life of emperor.

Rhys figured it was best to let Sasha work it out on her own. Eventually she would come to the same conclusions he had and, then, hopefully, find a way to let it go. Until then, he was only an ECHO-com away if she wanted to talk.

Handsome Jack was waiting for him and greeted Rhys the moment he stepped off his ship. This shuttle bay was further up the side of the gigantic H and a lot smaller than the one he had docked in on his last visit. So much smaller, that it was only able to accommodate small to medium craft, like Rhys' personal ship.

"Welcome back to Helios, sweetie! Did you miss me?" Jack asked, jumping the last few steps down to the landing platform.

Rhys met him halfway and got pulled into a demanding kiss before he had a chance to reply. Jack had one arm around his lower back, and even had the audacity to dip Rhys a bit, making him cling to Jack's shoulders and lean up into it.

"Mhm, yeah I did. Missed that a little more though…" Rhys replied when they broke apart. Giving Jack a tiny nudge in case he missed the innuendo.

"Oh, you are just insatiable, aren't you? I might be worried about keeping up with you, but this is _me_ we're talking about," Jack said.

He started walking with his arm still around Rhys hips, pulling the prince along with him. Rhys glanced over his shoulder to the attendants he had brought. Just a pilot and two senior ranking royal guards, the smallest escort he could get away with. A few Hyperon officials were seeing to them, so he didn't bother asking Jack about it.

"I have a welcome home present for you. I just know you're going to love it," Jack said, as he led Rhys through the shuttle bay doors and up to a security checkpoint just inside the door.

The way forward was blocked by a yellow force field with the Hyperion logo on it. A large console was set into the wall near it, with a huge screen at about hip height and the faint outline of a pair of hands on it.

"-but first we need to get you registered into the Helios bio-signature network. You can't even open a door around here without one. As much as I would love to spend every waking moment following you around, I have other things that require my illustrious attention. So, fingers on the pad," Jack said.

Rhys rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as he stepped up to the computer, placed both hands down on the warm glassy surface, and lined up with the outline as best he could.

Jack imputed his credentials on a screen next to it and brought up a pending profile, already loaded with Rhys tombstone information. Including his blood type (O negative) and current body weight (138lb).

Rhys wondered momentarily about where that information had come from, but he forgot it again once the system had recorded what it needed from his hands.

A little eye mounted into the top of the barrier ran a light over them, verifying Handsome Jack and then the newly registered Rhys.

"Welcome back Sexy, and Princess." The robotic voice chirped. Rhys shot Jack a dirty look but it just made him grin even wider.

The barrier dropped and Jack lead Rhys through.

"It's not going to do that everytime I open a door, is it?" Rhys asked.

"Nah. Only the bigger and cooler ones. I can set it to another nickname if you want. There has to be at least one of my names that really does it for you," Jack offered.

"What, no!" Rhys retorted. But after thinking about it for a moment he added "Okay…maybe Pumpkin, but only because you're the only one I know who's old and corny enough to use it."

"Ohhh, I'm wounded here, babe. But I'd watch your mouth making fun of the age thing if I were you. Two can play that game, and you've practically got 'twink' written across your ass in glitter," Jack replied.

He added a playful slap to the previously mentioned ass, which could have been timed better, since they had just walked out into a common area of Helios.

Rhys fell in closer to Jack, suddenly feeling very out of place. Everyone around him was dressed in office attire, and was at least thirty at the bare minimum. No doubt having had long careers up until this point to get them a place at Hyperion.

If Jack worked in this section, it had to mean mostly senior management were here. Only those important enough to be within walking distance of the king/CEO.

They parted like the red sea for Jack and, by extension, Rhys. Some were trying harder than others not to look like they were staring, but they were all clearly staring. Rhys realized it would be better if he stood up straight and acted like an emperor. After all, he was just as (actually probably more) important than Jack, even here in his beehive of a corporation. But clinging was easier and more comfortable, so he clung.

They reached a glass elevator in the middle of the plaza. It looked a little different than the one they had taken the first time Jack had brought him to his office. This must be the front entrance, as opposed to the many shortcuts that made navigating this plant-sized station possible.

Jack showed Rhys how to scan his fingerprints to get it to open, then the two separate buttons on the inside that would make the elevator shuttle him between Jack's office and his personal quarters on the level above.

Rhys found it a bit funny that Jack slept a matter of feet away from his desk. But he supposed that was par for the course for the head of a mega corporation.

On second thought, it wasn't that different from his situation given he also had an office in his palace.

The glass doors slid open, and Rhys followed Jack out into his apartment. Well, their apartment, since he would be staying here for the next month and presumably again in the future, when his duties required him to visit Pandora.

The apartment was an open-concept loft style, with more of those big windows Jack had in his office. These ones stretched nearly three stories tall, taking up two entire walls. A spiral staircase wound up through the three separate floors, with balcony railings ending the places that didn't reach all the way to the windows.

Rhys would have loved to spend an hour or so exploring, but Jack seemed to have different plans.

"You ready for your present?" he asked.

Rhys nodded, his attention easily captured when Jack spoke.

"Then stay there and close your eyes until I say. Got it?"

Rhys did as he was told and clasped his human and robotic hand behind his back to hide any nervous fidgeting.

Jack left, then returned a moment later. He brushed Rhys cheek with his thumb, making the prince scrunch up his face.

"Ja-" Rhys cut himself off as he felt the familiar texture of leather brush his neck. He stood up straight, lifting his head up as Jack fiddled with a buckle under his chin.

"Now, don't get too excited, kiddo. This is only a training collar. If you're a good boy you'll earn your permanent one soon. Until then, you can take this one off, but you should wear it enough that you get used to the feeling" Jack said.

He spun Rhys around and walked him up to the full length mirror placed near the elevator.

Rhys blinked at his reflection. It was only a tiny change, but that only made it more eye-catching. It was yellow of course, with a silver buckle and D-ring where a leash could be attached.

Jack hooked a finger into the little silver ring, and leaned in to kiss Rhys' neck just above the new band. His other hand squeezed Rhys shoulder tightly.

"When you wear this, it means you are under my protection and my control. You will do what I tell you and failure will be punished," Jack explained.

The way Jack said punished made goosebumps crawl up Rhys arms, that same tingling mix of fear and excitement that had lured Rhys in. Jack was tugging on some primal part of him that really wanted this, even though Rhys wasn't completely clear on what exactly 'this' was.

"Lets practice, shall we? Get on your knees," Jack ordered.

Rhys didn't even think about it, he simply acted. He kneeled to the hardwood floor and placed his hands flat against the ground on either side of his hips. Jack's hold on his collar forced him to sit up straight and look up at Jack instead of his refection.

"See, how easy was that? You are such a good boy. A natural, really, just like you were handmade for me," Jack cooed.

"Now open your mouth a bit… Yeah, like that."

Rhys let his lips part, hardly even flinching when Jack pushed two fingers into his mouth.

Rhys' hands closed into fists against the floor. This should have been humiliating, but he didn't really care. Following orders felt good, Jack's praise even more so. His hero was pleased with his performance, and he was lapping up the attention he was being shown in return.

"Good, now suck them, let's see what your raw performance is like."

Jack's fingers tasted like sweat and metal, Rhys ran his tongue over them. Then bobbed his head a bit, taking Jack fingers up to the knuckle then sliding them back past his lips.

"Not completely terrible, kitten. I'm impressed. A little direction and you'll be sucking cock like a champ," Jack said.

Jack took his hand back, his fingers parting from Rhys' lips with an audible pop. He ruffled up Rhys' hair from the back, making his bangs fall in front his brown and blue eyes.

"Now let's see you roll over. Show Handsome Jack that pretty little tummy of yours."

Jack released Rhys' collar and the prince melted to the floor. It felt cool against his cheek, a nice relief from the hot his body felt. Rhys shifted onto his back, pulling up his shirt to show off his belly like Jack had wanted.

Jack crouched down, rubbing up along Rhys' soft skin, petting him in long strokes that made Rhys' breath come in short pants. Jack's piercing gaze wandered to the front of Rhys jeans, and his smile widened enough to show teeth.

"Oh, would you look at that. And I've barely touched you."

Jack stood and brought one foot down right between Rhys legs, grinding his heel into the front of Rhys pants. Not so hard it hurt, but with enough friction to send a lightning bolt up Rhys' spine.

"Got to hand it to you, kiddo, you're starting to get to me. Waiting 'till our wedding night is going to be so firkin' hard," Jack growled.

The only response Rhys could manage was a soft whimper.

"Whose bitch are you, kitten? I want to hear you say it."

"Y-yours, Jack."

"My what?"

"Your bitch!"

Jack lifted his foot and stepped back from the mess he had made of the Athenian prince.

"Make yourself comfortable babe. I've got things I need to do. I'll come by and pick you up for dinner, alright?" Jack said.

The sudden change of gears left Rhys out of alignment. An ache started in his chest, so sharp and painful it was hard to believe it was only an emotional reaction. He really didn't want Jack to leave him, but anything he could think to say about it sounded so clingy that he didn't dare try.

Jack hovered by the elevator waiting for a response.

"Y-yeah sure…S-see you," Rhys eventually managed to reply, sitting up from his spot on the floor, both arms crossed over his chest.

Jack nodded and blew Rhys a kiss before sweeping out of the apartment.

It took twenty minutes before Rhys could convince himself to get up. He felt like he had been punched in the gut, and any energy he had to explore the rest of the apartment had deserted him.

The only thing worst than how Rhys was feeling, was the fact he was feeling it at all. Jack had his own long list of responsibilities and he really couldn't expect him to stick around babysitting all day.

"Man, you really are completely hopeless aren't you," Rhys murmured to himself. He flopped down on the nearest sofa, curled up, and grabbed the nearest throw pillow to cling to.

Rhys lifted a few fingers to his neck, fidgeting with the new collar like a five-year-old with a loose tooth, unfamiliar with the sensation of its constant presence against his skin. It wasn't really a substitute for Jack but it was a small reminder none the less.

* * *

 

It didn't take that long for Rhys' life to settle back into some semblance of normalcy, even with the massive shift in his environment.

Rhys had spent weeks, and even months, on ships before, taking long tours around the empire with his father. But Helios was nothing like any of the vessels he had lived on. For one thing, it was silent, dead silent. Caught in it's lazy geosynchronous orbit, Helios had no need for constantly running propulsion systems and never encountered any turbulence or changes in barring.

Rhys didn't spend so much time on ships that he couldn't sleep without the hum of engines, but he was used to the relatively low level of background noise that came from living planet-side, which Helios was also missing. Each room was its own tightly sealed box, ventilated separately so that a pressure leak in one room wouldn't take the whole station down. Add to that, the thick metal walls required to retain structural integrity, and Rhys was pretty sure a rock concert could be going on in the very next room without him ever noticing.

But once you got used to that, and the slightly depressing lack of sunlight, it wasn't half bad.

Rhys woke in the morning with a 50/50 chance of Jack still being there. If he was, they would usually have breakfast together. Jack sitting at the kitchen counter in nothing but his fluffy Hyperion robe, while Rhys wore the pajama pants he slept in.

Jack slept naked of course, and found Rhys' reliance on pajamas utterly hilarious for reasons Rhys didn't fully comprehend. Something about "understanding when he was older" or some bullshit like that.

After that, Jack would get dressed and go see to the running of his mega corporation and ruling his planet. There was probably a lot to do, since once Jack was co-ruling the Athenian empire he wouldn't be able to take the hands-on approach to leading Hyperion any longer. It would need a new CEO while Pandora would require an appointed governor general to take the throne in place of their king.

Meanwhile, Rhys saw to the "girly" (Jack's phrasing) wedding planning. Not that Jack hadn't hired half an army to help plan as well, but everyone and their grandmother wanted Rhys' opinion on any decisions they made.

Rhys secretly suspected that they really didn't care what he thought, only that they could use his name as a shield should Jack later question them. Rhys didn't really mind though, since it gave him something to do instead of just lounging around Jack's apartment while the collar around his neck reminded him how much he was missing his fiancé.

Once in awhile, he did actually have to consult Jack about wedding matters, at least in situations where his blanket statement of "Add more yellow, it pops better" didn't suffice, and not at all because Rhys wanted an excuse to see him.

But halfway into second week of his Helios visit, Rhys entered Jack's office to find the man himself absent.

Rhys finished carrying the big book of flower samples to the desk. Mostly because it was heavier then a galactic encyclopedia and his arms were killing him. But once he had put it down and scanned the room, he realized that Jack really was completely gone.

Rhys was just deciding if he should wait to see if Jack came back soon or if he should try again later when a yellow light flicked on in the center of Jack's desk. A holo-screen projected from it, and the image of a woman came into focus on screen.

She had long back hair pinned back in a side ponytail, and her bangs moved as if they were being constantly blown around by a strong wind. She didn't move her lips as her voice echoed from a speaker implanted somewhere on the desk, but her facial expression changed with her sentiments.

"Hello there. I'm not really sure you should be in here right now," she said, her lips folding into a concerned frown.

"Ah. Sorry, I was just leaving. I only wanted to ask Jack about flower arrangements and…"

Rhys trailed off as he took in the image in front of him. There was something off about it, and he was just starting to put his finger on it.

"Wow, um... I've never had to ask anyone this before so, I'm sorry if it's rude, but… are you an AI?" Rhys asked.

The woman on the screen smiled a bit and nodded.

"Yes, I am the Guardian Angel of Pandora. But you can just call me Angel. It's nice to meet you, Rhys."

"You know my name? I-I mean, I'm in the Helios system, so of course you do. Sorry, stupid question," Rhys replied. He tried to hide his awkwardness with a little chuckle but it only made it worse.

It didn't help that he was distracted by the fact he recognised her voice from somewhere. She had been the one relaying docking instructions when he had first come to Helios, and the voice that had told Jack his father was calling, but there was one other place that didn't fit in with those two.

Then it hit him. The call Lilith had gotten just before Jack came with reinforcements.

Only, that couldn't have been this AI. After all, voices for artificial intelligences came in packaged boxes sold by software manufacturers. It was probably just a coincidence Lilith's sounded the same.

"Rhys?" Angel asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Oh! Sorry I got a little distracted thinking there for a second. It's… ah, I'm sorry. A-again," Rhys stammered.

"It's fine…" Angel said. She looked rather concerned, her eyebrows knitting together as she looked at the young prince.

"What is that thing you have around your neck?" Angel asked.

Rhys robotic hand snapped up to cover the collar around his neck. He had gotten used to the Helios staff knowing better than to ask. But part of him had always been anxious someone would point it out.

"That? It's just an accessory. Jack gave it to me. You know how it is, I have to wear it or else I look ungrateful, right?" Rhys said. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to lie to what was basically a computer program, but she seemed so lifelike. He couldn't quite dismiss her the same way he could a robot.

"I see," Angel replied. Her eyes gained this odd, faraway look and her lips pinched into frown.

Something seemed to snap in the Angel AI. Her calm tone devolving into a near panic of rushed emotions.

"Rhys, you don't have to let him do this to you! There's still a chance you could get away. If you get out and back to your empire, where he can't hurt you-"

The doors of Jack's office swished open and Angel cut herself off mid sentence. Rhys looked up, meeting Handsome Jack's eye from across the huge room. When he looked back where the screen had been, the yellow light had blinked out and Angel was gone.

"Rhys, is that you, kiddo?" Jack asked. His stare never leaving the prince as he traversed the aisle between the matching fountains leading up to his desk.

"What a lovely surprise. But you know, I really don't like people being in my office when I'm not."

Rhys snatched up the book of flower arrangements he had brought, and jumped away from the desk.

"S-sorry, Jack. I just came looking for you, wanted your opinion on a few things. We need something to pair the yellow roses with and I was thinking…"

Jack didn't go straight for his desk, instead he closed in on Rhys. His fingers touched Rhys neck, then down to the leather band around it.

"You're wearing your collar. Good, that means I can punish you."

Rhys nearly dropped the book onto his foot. His heart sunk down into the pit of his stomach. He had to have known this would happen at some point, but not this soon.

Jack peeled the book from Rhys' hands and placed it back on the desk, covering the projector that Angel had appeared through.

Rhys stood stock still, watching Jack with wide eyes as he tapped on the computer panels on his desk. The digistructer on his desk spat out the requested items. At first glance, it looked like four lengths of thin plastic but Rhys didn't have long to examine them before Jack snatched his wrists.

He spun Rhys around and locked them behind his back. One of the plastic things clicked as it was fastened around Rhys' wrist, then another further up on his forearms.

"Zip ties," Jack explained. "Been a favorite since my days as a programmer tech-junky. They have so many wonderful uses. Now, get on the desk."

Rhys didn't really have to obey the last order since Jack shoved him up onto the desk anyway.

"Tell me what you did wrong, kitten," Jack said. He cupped Rhys cheeks in both hands, his thumbs resting lightly just under Rhys' bottom lip.

"I… I went into your office when you weren't around?" Rhys replied, unsure if this was supposed to be a trick question.

"Exactly, that's my smart little boy. Now you're just learning, so I'm going to take it easy on you this time. I'm merciful like that. But if I let you get away with nothing, you won't learn your lesson. Do you understand?" Jack asked.

"I, uh…"

Rhys' train of thought derailed as he watched Jack pull a knife from the holster on his hip. It was only about three inches long but the blade looked sharp enough to cut through solid steel.

Fear sunk its fangs into Rhys. Pure, and undiluted with the usual attraction that Jack inspired.

"Jack, what the fuck?!" Rhys yelped.

"Uh tut ta, language Rhysie. When you have my collar on, you follow my rules. I really don't know how much clearer I can make this," Jack scolded.

"Now hold still, or this will hurt more then I mean it to."

The top buttons of Rhys black dress shirt popped open when Jack yanked on them. Allowing access to Rhys' shoulders and collar.

"No need to ruin that lovely ink. So how about right here…" Jack mused, as he guided the knife blade up to Rhys' right shoulder above his robotic arm and into the junction below his neck. The blade just barely grazed Rhys' skin, but it cut deep. Blood pooled in a line over the scratch, then started run down his skin.

Rhys' chest heaved with short, shallow breaths. The zip ties cutting into his skin as he twisted against them. His face was pale, lips parted in frozen shock.

Jack fisted Rhys' collar, holding him as he finished his work. Three more cuts joined the first, each one magnifying the pain in Rhys shoulder from proximity. Rhys whimpered, but Jack didn't even acknowledge the sound.

He placed the knife down on the desk beside Rhys' hip.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Jack asked as he admired his handwork. Small rivulets of blood were gradually making their way down Rhys' chest. Jack leaned close, his tongue dragging over Rhys skin as he lapped it up.

Rhys winched and gasped in pain. It hurt a lot, but Jack's lips on his skin was to good to refuse. Not that he had any choice.

Jack picked up the knife again and Rhys flinched, but he only used it to snap the zip ties.

Rhys rubbed his arms, eyes downcast as he tried to sooth the angry red marks where the plastic had cut into his skin.

"So have you learned your lesson?" Jack asked, sitting back in his yellow chair and resting his cheek on one fist.

Rhys thought about pointing out to that it wasn't exactly fair that he had to be punished when he didn't know about the office being forbidden. But he got the feeling that was missing the point. This wasn't about the office as much as Jack asserting dominance over him. He could either push back and receive more pain, or accept it and please Jack.

Rhys hadn't really tried that hard to stop it. So it had to mean he had wanted this on some level. The whole reason he was wearing the collar at all was because he wanted Jack to dominate him. 

"Yes, Jack," Rhys agreed.

"I think you should start calling me Master. At least when it's just you and me," Jack said.

"Yes, Master..." Rhys amended.

Jack nodded, satisfied.

"You can leave now if you like. Or, I guess since I'm here, there's always room on my lap," Jack offered.

Rhys clenched his fists, but the anger was short lived. His shoulder throbbed something awful and having Jack's arms around him would sooth it better than spite if he stalked off to tend to it himself.

He was already starting to feel the chill of his body temperature returning to normal after the high of fear. Soon the endorphin crash would hit him, like it did his first day on Helios.

Rhys nodded and approached Jack, carefully moving into place on his chair with him, Jack's legs between his own. He rested his head on Jack's shoulder and settled into place against him.

"Needy as always, hhm? You're lucky I care about you so much," Jack said.

* * *

 

Rhys was in the bathroom when he got Fiona's text message. He had just finished tying the drawstring of his swimsuit around his hips when it popped up in the corner of his vision. He read the short message automatically, then immediately wished he hadn't.

 **[10:22 AM] Fifi:** Sasha Is really worried about you.

She was quite blatantly guilting him, but Rhys couldn't really blame her for it. He was already a week overdue for his return to Attica and he had yet to come up with a convincing excuse for why. Every time he thought about leaving, something important came up, or Jack insisted they go do something together and he just forgot about it.

Rhys summoned a holo-screen from his robotic palm and typed out a message.

 **[10:22 AM] R#y5:** I'll ask Jack about it this afternoon I promise

Fiona's response came a few seconds later. She must have been watching her ECHO.

 **[10:22 AM] Fifi:** Why do you need to ask him? He knows you should have left ages ago.

 **[10:23 AM] R#y5:** It's called being polite.

 **[10:23 AM] Fifi:** Then tell him nicely that you're leaving. Don't ask.

Rhys looked from his ECHO screen to his reflection in the mirror. He was bare chested above his black and blue patterned swim trunks, his collar in it's usual place around his neck. The scratches on his shoulder had mostly healed but you could still see the faint outlines if you knew where to look.

 **[10:23 AM] R#y5:** How about I ask firmly? Best of both worlds. BTW any luck getting Sasha to her dress fittings yet?

It was a rather sudden change in topic, but it seemed to do the trick.

 **[10:24 AM] Fifi:** No. but we're working off the measurements from her armor so it shouldn't be that much of a problem.

The possibility that Sasha might not even attend the wedding hung around like an elephant in the living room cupboard, but neither Rhys nor Fiona had brought it up yet.

 **[10:24 AM] Fifi:** If you were here you could convince her to go.

Rhys wasn't sure if she meant to the wedding, or the fittings, or both. But her flipping the topic back onto his return was exasperating.

It seemed like everyone was after him about this whole 'returning to Attica' thing. Even though in reality it was only Fiona and Vaughn. Unless you counted the AI in Jack's office, anyway.

Rhys had been trying to forget about that particularly strange conversation, but every once in awhile his thoughts inevitably trailed back to what she had said to him.

'You don't have to let him do this to you.'

Rhys' left hand strayed to the marks on his right shoulder. That had happened after her warning. So that couldn't be what she meant. He wished he had gotten a chance to ask her what she was on about, but he wasn't going to try sneaking back into Jack's office to find out.

It was probably nothing. A software bug in her understanding of human relationships, or maybe simple confusion.

Rhys left the ensuite bathroom and took the spiral staircase down from the bedroom to the first floor of Jack's penthouse.

On his first few exploratory trips Rhys had missed the secondary staircase in the kitchen leading down to what could be called a basement. Though, on a floating moonbase that word was more metaphorical than anything.

On that level there was a cozy pool with roman style marble paneling and matching curricular hot tub. The bottom of the pool was decorated with a mural painting of a shirtless Handsome Jack fighting some kind of sea monster with nothing but a respirator and a harpoon gun.

The real Jack was some distance above it, doing laps from one side of the pool to the other, kicking off hard from the wall with every turn. Rhys had been wondering, but apparently the mask didn't come off for swimming, just like it didn't for showers or sleeping.

Rhys settled himself on the sharp edge of the pool, sitting with his legs in the water. His cybernetics were waterproof, but he had never really been a swimming kind of person anyway. Plus, he was having more fun watching Jack.

After swimming six or seven more lengths, Jack stopped for a break. He folded his arms over the edge of the pool, holding himself up as he caught his breath. His usually swept back bangs were plastered to his forehead, nearly covering his green eye.

Jack noticed Rhys watching him and pushed off from the wall to swim over to the prince.

"Enjoying the show there, sweetheart?" Jack asked.

Rhys figured Jack wasn't quite as buff as he thought he was, but Rhys and his flat tummy were hardly in a position to start throwing stones, so he kept the thought to himself.

"Yeah, something like that," Rhys replied, smirking coyly at Jack, who was lounging about on his back in the water.

"Hey, um, Master, there something I need to talk to you about," Rhys said.

"Sure you do. What's up, buttercup?"

Jack swum back to the side of the pool and pulled himself out of the water with such ease that Rhys had to seriously reconsider his earlier thought about Jack's buffness. Maybe it was just a leaner kind a muscle.

"Well, I really should have headed home by now and Fi-"

"Whatcha talking about Rhysie? Helios is your home," Jack interrupted. He shook his head like a dog, sending water droplets flying. Rhys shifted away from Jack, getting out of the splash zone.

"I meant Athens. Fiona wants to know when I'm coming back," Rhys clarified.

"Oh, probably after the wedding," Jack replied. He got up and made a beeline for the hot tub, forcing Rhys to scramble to his feet and follow to keep up the conversation.

"Wait, really? I um… it's just, we planned for me to spend five weeks with you and the others back home."

"Yeah, well, plans change. Don't they?"

Jack forwent the stairs and jumped into the bubbling water, sending up another splash. He leaned against the side of the tub and motioned for Rhys to come in and sit beside him.

Rhys sat down on the edge of the pool and eased himself in. Sitting on the bench the water came up to just about his chest line. Jack put his right arm around the prince's shoulders, his fingertips resting softly on the collar around Rhys neck.

"Master, I-"

"Shhhh."

Jack pressed a finger to Rhys' lips. He seemed calm enough, but there was a dangerous note in his tone that was making Rhys nervous.

"Let me tell you a little story, pumpkin. You remember those bandits that nearly killed you in Delphi?"

Jack paused and Rhys nodded. He couldn't imagine how Jack would think he had forgotten. Then again, Jack probably had gotten shot at enough that he didn't remember all of them.

"Well, back when I was in the final stages of cleaning up Pandora, some members that very same group paid a visit to this backwoods town called Lynchwood out in the badlands. There really wasn't anything that special there. A few eridium mines, some fuel pumps. A slightly shitty, one-horse kind of place. I wouldn't even have remembered its name if it wasn't for the fact that, in one of my first acts as leader of Pandora, I gave that little burg to this thoroughly badass chick named Nisha. She ran it as the sheriff for years, and she loved every minute of it. Right up until those bandits busted into her town, robbed the bank, blew up a train, and gunned her down in cold blood."

The arm around Rhys tightened just a bit.

"You want to know why they did that to her? Not because they wanted the money, or even because scum like that just live to see the hard work of others destroyed. It was because Nisha was my girlfriend. They wanted to hurt me so badly, they traveled all the way out to Lynchwood just to kill her. That's how I knew Lilith was going to target you once negotiations broke down. Because these bandits will pull any underhanded, dirty little trick in the book to score their points against me."

Rhys was so focused on listening to Jack he was caught off guard when Jack reached over and scooped him up into his lap. Jack's hips grinded up against Rhys' backside under the water, arms closing behind Rhys' back so Jack was holding him flush against his chest.

"But this time it's going to be different. I'm going to protect you no matter what. When our marriage contract is signed, I'll have full control over the security in your palace. But until then, you're going to stay on Helios, where even an invisible siren can't sneak through the defenses."

Rhys didn't have anywhere else to look beside into Jack's eyes. It wasn't quite anger he saw there, but it was fierce all the same and had everything to do with Rhys, his proximity to Jack, and the desire to keep it that way.

"Those bandits nearly took everything from me, and now they're trying to do it all over again. But it won't even be close this time. You're staying here with me until you've got that pretty ring on your finger and the whole galaxy knows every bit of you **belongs to me**."

Rhys had to remind himself to breath after hearing Jack growl those last few words. He wanted to feel bad about what had happened to Jack. He should have felt downright terrified by how possessive his partner was being, but what he was actually feeling was closer to undiluted lust than either of those.

He wanted that too. He wanted to belong to Jack as much as Helios and Hyperion did. Jack's hand slid down to Rhys hips, then to his thighs where his fingers dug in Rhys' skin. With the hot water all around him, it was impossible to tell how much of the heat in Rhys' core could be attributed to arousal alone. Not that it really mattered, since the outcome was all the same.

Jack leaned in and Rhys met him halfway. He was getting used to Jack's forceful kissing habits, but this was rough even for him. Rhys wondered if his lips could bruise, but with Jack's tongue exploring his back teeth, he didn't have that much brainpower left to worry about it.

When they broke apart and Rhys had recovered enough breath to speak, he posed his only question about the story Jack had just told him.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"

"I don't exactly like talking about it. Also, I was planning on those murderers being dead by now. Apparently, being at the top of the most wanted list in both our empires still isn't enough to get them taken down," Jack said.

Rhys nodded. He hadn't really cared that much about getting revenge on the Vault Hunters, but then, they hadn't managed to harm anyone he cared about.

"I… I'm sorry about Nisha…" Rhys murmured. He felt a little strange saying that when they were both half naked and he could still taste Jack on his tongue, but it was all he could think of.

"Don't be, she knew what she was getting into. I offered her my protection more times that I could count, but she was too headstrong to take it. She never passed up a good fight, or worried about getting her hands dirty."

Jack sighed leaning his head back against the edge of the pool.

"God, I miss her. Even if I'm way to old to keep up with that crap now."

Jacks wet fingers tangled into Rhys hair, hot excess water running down the back of his neck.

"But that's why I like you, kiddo. I had plenty of fire in my life. It's nice to have a docile cutie around who does what he's told, and won't wander off and get murdered by bandits. It makes it easier to get attached," Jack said.

Rhys felt a twist of guilt in his gut. Looking back on it now, going to meet those Vault Hunters in person had been a really stupid idea. His foolishness had nearly cost Jack another loved one, and at the hands of the same criminals.

He could still picture Lilith standing over him. Her face a mask of determination and hatred. Hatred not for him, but for Jack.

Maybe it was only his imagination, but there seemed to be something between Jack and Lilith. Maybe she had been the one to pull the trigger on Nisha, or maybe it was even older than that. All he knew for sure was that Jack had called her a traitor and it felt like the kind of bad blood that only comes with a long and twisted history.

"I'll tell Fiona I'm staying here till the wedding."

* * *

 

"You're doing what!"

"Look I'm really, really, sorry but-

"But nothing, Rhys! You can't just-"

Fiona was so frustrated she couldn't even finish her sentence. She vanished from the holo-screen as she stepped away from her console. Fiona tended to pace when she was stressed out, so Rhys was used to it.

As Rhys waited for her to come back, he shifted onto his tummy on the bed he and Jack shared. His robotic hand stretched out in front with palm-mounted projector pointed upwards while his human one propped up his chin.

Just out of view of the two-way video call, Rhys collar rested on top of the dresser. It was the first time he had taken it off since Jack had placed it around his neck, but unless he wanted to explain it to Fiona, it had to go for now.

"Why. Give me one good reason why," Fiona said.

"Ma- er… Jack, is worried about security," Rhys replied, catching his slip just in time. He was getting a little too used to using the M-word.

"Security! Rhys, you live in a literal citadel. Security here is perfectly fine," Fiona snapped.

"You managed to get in with a hip-mounted grappling hook when you were a teenager. What if you had been an assassin instead of just a thief?" Rhys said.

"Well, that's just because it was me," Fiona replied. She sighed and placed her hands on her hips. A mannerism she had picked up from Sasha.

"Wait, where is this even coming from? I've never heard you worry about assassins before," Fiona asked.

"It's those Vault Hunters. The ones who attacked Delphi. Jack is worried they're going to try to kill me since it will be their only shot at stopping the marriage."

Fiona bit her bottom lip. Contemplating if she should say what she was thinking.

"Well, do you even know why they don't want you to marry Jack?"

Rhys shook his head and shrugged. "No. Does it even matter though? I think it's revenge for the bounty Hyperion has on their heads. That or they're just, y'know, crazy murderers," Rhys replied.

Rhys knew he could argue with Fiona practically all night if given half the chance. Better to nip this in the bud now.

"Look Fiona, I know it sucks. But if it makes Jack feel more comfortable, then it's probably worth it. Besides, it's only for one more month, then Jack can finish moving into the Acropolis and everything can settle down. I trust you can handle things on my behalf until then." Rhys said.

"Sasha isn't going to like this."

"Yeah, I know..."

Rhys looked up and saw Jack waiting for him by the bedroom door, his arms crossed as he leaned against the door frame.

"Jack and I are about to head out to dinner. I'll text you later okay?" Rhys said.

He ended the call after saying goodbye to a fairly annoyed looking Fiona. She probably deserved to be angry with him, but having to put up with his wedding drama was one of the casualties of being his best man. Well, best woman in this case.

While he had been finishing up his call, Jack had noticed the collar laying on the dresser and picked it back up. He fiddled with the buckle as he watched Rhys swing his feet off the side of the bed and trot over to him.

Rhys obediently lifted his chin and Jack slipped the collar back around his throat.

"You made the right choice, Rhysie."


	5. The Dancing Monkeys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I let [Ryuu09](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryuu09/pseuds/Ryuu09) (thanks again for the editing help BTW) talk me into posting shorter updates in exchange for quicker updates. If you prefer the longer chapters maybe wait till the next one and read them together. For everyone else, enjoy!

> "There's blood in the water and everyone can smell it!"
> 
> Rhys, Tales from the borderlands episode 1

Rhys held his arms out parallel to his shoulders as Fiona circled around him. Her hawk-like attention to detail had originally been developed to find suitable pickpocket targets in a crowd. But now it was dedicated to finding any possible flaws in the prince's appearance.

He was wearing the formal tunic and wrap customary for an Athenian emperor. But instead of his preferred black with blue accents, the fabric was pure white and trimmed in gold. Matching the wreath of olive leaves perched on his head, cast from gold and jade.

He should have been wearing the crown of the emperor, but it would still be unsuitable pre-coronation, even on his wedding day.

Fiona adjusted the fall of Rhys' wrap around the back so it fell right between his shoulder blades. Satisfied, she stood back and Rhys finally let his arms drop.

"How are we doing for time, Vaughn?" Rhys asked, turning away from the full length mirror.

Vaughn was sitting on the edge of a glass table that had been pushed against the wall when the room changed from a boardroom to a bridal dressing room. He pulled back the arm of his suit jacket and checked his old fashioned digital wristwatch.

"T-minus thirty minutes. Not counting the time to walk to the ceremony chamber," Vaughn replied.

"Seriously? Still that long," Rhys said.

Vaughn chuckled and shook his head at Rhys.

"Bro, you've only got an hour and a bit of being single left, you should enjoy it."

Rhys whined under his breath, glancing around the room for something else to focus on. But there were only a few sofas and the open boxes of flowers on the table beside Vaughn.

"The waiting is killing me though. All I can think about is how many different ways I could mess this all up."

"The rehearsal went just fine. What could you have possibly forgotten since yesterday?" Fiona asked.

She gently nudged Rhys out of the way, so she could take up his spot in front of the three panelled mirror. Her bridesmaid dress was a white emperor cut affair with a strapless bodice. The bridesmaid dressing in white might have been against a few earth traditions, but the only other options to fit with the Hyperion theme had been yellow or black. The latter was too dower for a wedding, and the former was just… just, no.

"I don't know, but there has to be something. It's always easy when it doesn't matter, but as soon as the whole galaxy is watching, you're like a million times more likely to mess up."

"I'm pretty sure that's not how statistics work," Vaughn said.

Rhys frowned, but he knew better to argue with Vaughn when it came down to math. Not a lot of people considered accounting a dream job, but Vaughn's natural aptitude for numbers made him a perfect fit for it. Rhys had even promised him a place in the royal treasury department once he finished university.

Fiona walked over to her day bag and retrieved her favorite white hat. Placing it on her head as she returned to the mirror.

"There. Now it's perfect," Fiona decided.

Vaughn looked over at Rhys, but the prince just shrugged.

"If she says it's perfect, it's perfect."

The door to the dressing room opened and all three of the occupants looked up as Sasha entered. She was wearing a dress identical to her sister, fitting in with the rest of Rhys' bridal party.

"Oh, so you get to wear your hat, but I can't keep my armor?" she asked, giving her sister a proper stink eye.

Fiona laughed and tossed a bundle of yellow roses at her sister. Sasha caught it overhand by the stems and tucked it into the sash around her hips, like she was sheathing a sword.

"See what I mean? It's just not the same."

She glanced over and met eyes with Rhys.

"Hey..." he said.

"Hello Rhys, you actually look half decent. Looks like Fi worked her magic again."

It was the first time they had spoken in months, and now that it was over, Rhys felt a lot better. Against all his doubts, she was here, and smiling too. It made him feel like they would actually be able to get through this alright. After all the turmoil, he would still be able to keep both his friends and Jack.

"Why, thank you. A magician never reveals her secrets, but I can tell you it wasn't easy," Fiona said with a deep bow worthy of Broadway.

"Thanks for coming," Rhys said, meeting Sasha's eyes. "I know it wasn't easy for you. So... well, thanks..."

"It's not a big deal, the least I could do is be here to support you," Sasha said with a shrug.

Neither wanted to start another argument so they simply sidestepped the whole Handsome Jack issue. Maybe once things had calmed down Rhys would ask her if her feelings had changed, but for now he was just glad to have her by his side again.

"Vaughn, time?"

"Twenty-five minutes."

Rhys sighed and eyed the nearest couch, contemplating throwing himself onto it dramatically before he remembered he shouldn't mess up his clothes. So he settled for a pout instead.

* * *

 

The modified chamber where the wedding ceremony was taking place hadn't really existed until a few weeks ago. Several independent rooms and office floors on Helios had been relocated and combined into one single ballroom.

Attendance for the ceremony was in the thousands, though a large portion of that was Hyperion employees pulled in to help fill empty seats. Traditionally, dignitaries from all over the galaxy would have been in attendance, but the turnout had been unusually low, enough that Rhys didn't even bother reading the individual apology letters.

It didn't really matter to him why they didn't come, whether it was the unusual location, distrust of Handsome Jack and Hyperion, or the lack of advanced warning before the ceremony. Cordiality demanded he invite them, but there were no protocols about making it convenient for them.

Rhys was much more concerned with the live broadcast that was being displayed in the agora of every city across the Athenian empire and on the major news networks. The decision to marry Jack had gone down with mixed results and now was the time to restore faith with a celebration across the twenty, soon to be twenty-one, planets.

Following in the footsteps of the ancient Athenians, animal sacrifices would be made in the name of the Olympians. The bones would be burned and the meat would be turned into various dishes to be shared among the citizen body.

Given this wasn't 400 BCE anymore, the bones and the meat were artificially synthesised. Making the sacrifice more theoretical, since nothing had been really alive to begin with. But a usual when dealing with the gods, it was the thought that counted.

The guests were all in their seats when Rhys' bridal party arrived. A woman with a clipboard motioned for them to go on through, Vaughn's timing perfect as always.

Fiona, as the lead grooms-maid, was the first up the aisle, followed by Sasha, then Rhys and Vaughn linked arm and arm. Without any immediate family left, Rhys had made due with his friends. He could have sourced some distantly related Athenian nobility, but it felt more natural to have those he cared about close by.

Rhys walked with his eyes straight ahead, thinking about each step as he took it. Striving for flawless posture. He risked a glance up when he was halfway up the red carpet, his eyes meeting Jack's.

He was standing at the altar looking extremely bored, as could only be expected, and wearing the aftermath of a legendary battle with his increasingly superfluous personal stylist.

Jack was of the opinion that suits were something that other people needed to look good. While, he, being Handsome Jack, needed no assistance and could wear whatever he wanted to wherever he wanted, including to his own wedding.

The tie had been a lost cause from stage one, but he had been coaxed into a suit Jacket and out of his well-worn yellow sweater. He still had on the leather vest underneath though, and had refused to button up the top layer.

Despite those compromises, Jack wasn't wearing jeans and sneakers. So Rhys probably owed Jack's stylist a thank you present for that alone.

Beside the Hyperion CEO stood the vice president, here in the role of Jack's best man. Rhys had only met him once before and all he really knew about him was he referred to himself as Mr. Blake, that his first name was Jeffry not Jimmy, no matter what Jack said, and that he would be taking control of Hyperion after today.

Apparently, Jack didn't trust Blake any further then he could throw him, and suspected him of trying seize control of Hyperion by force, before it became necessary to hand over the executive office regardless. In the corporate culture of Hyperion though, that was as close as you get to a best friend, so here he was.

On either side of the altar sat the statues of Hesta and Hara. Goddesses of the hearth and marriage respectively. Because of the magnitude of the event, all the gods would be receiving sacrifice, but these two would be the ones asked to bless the newlyweds.

Last, but never least, the statue of Zeus stood behind the altar, in whose name the marriage would be sanctified. At least, in spirit, if not in legality. That was the job of the marriage certificate sitting on a podium to the right of the statue of Hesta.

When Rhys neared the altar, Vaughn released his arm. Rhys turned back to look at him and they shared a little nod. From there, he walked the last few steps on his own, past where Fiona and Sasha were standing. Jack offered his hand and Rhys took it.

"You nervous, cupcake?" Jack asked, winking his green eye.

Rhys glanced over his shoulder, back at the huge crowd watching them. The seats went so far back he couldn't even make out the individual faces of those in the back rows.

"Nope," Rhys replied.

Jack smirked, but any further banter was put on hold as the Secretary-General of the Galactic Council raised his hands to indicate he was about to begin the ceremony. Rhys thought it was very kind of him to agree to do the ceremony after Jack had interrupted his speech at the last meeting. Although, Rhys suspected if he asked, the Secretary-General would tell him he came because the Athenians asked him, and not for Jack or Pandora.

Jack had made good on his prediction of gaining a front row seat in the council though. Just with a lot less violence than many had been fearing. At the very least, his days of being a wildcard were over now that he had thrown his lot in with a thoroughly established empire. The whole galactic council could collectively breathe a sigh of relief.

Rhys and Jack stood at a slight angle so they were facing both the audience and the Secretary-General. Rhys barely heard any of the speech, probably because he was so used to tuning out the sound of the Secretary-General talking.

Instead, Rhys was focused on the hands holding his, and thinking forward to the part of the ceremony he actually had to participate in.

First, there was the nuts and dried figs meant to symbolise fertility and growth, though in this case it was more for the nation and not from the participants themselves. Rhys took the small pottery jar from the Secretary-General and picked out a single piece of fruit and an almond, then fed them to his very soon-to-be husband. Jack tried to bite Rhys' fingertips just like he did in rehearsal, but he was ready this time and didn't end up stumbling backwards or squeaking loud enough for the whole rehearsal party to hear.

Maybe that was half the point of rehearsals, so dorky husbands like Jack could run out of jokes before they could potentially ruin something.

He handed the jar over and Jack returned the gesture. Rhys tried to chew quietly as things continued. Eating in the middle of a ceremony was awkward, but it was still better than having them thrown at the wedded couple, which had been the common practice before.

While Rhys was pondering what a fig impacting his face would feel like, he almost missed his cue.

"I do," Rhys said, glancing over to Jack.

"Yeah, sure," Jack added with a shrug.

As the Secretary-General opened the floor up for objection to the marriage, Rhys sensed movement behind him. For an awful moment he pictured Sasha leaping out from behind him and dropkicking Jack. But then the moment passed and the ceremony continued.

He risked turning his head to look at her. He could tell from the set of her jaw that her teeth were clenched, but otherwise she seemed perfectly calm and presentable. He really shouldn't have doubted her, even if it was just for a moment. She had come to be there for him, despite the fact she disapproved of what he was doing.

A loader bot, painted so it appeared to be wearing a formal suit and tie, approached the stage and offered Rhys a pillow with two rings nestled together in the center. They were made of platinum with a band of pure Eridium crystals in the center.

Rhys took the larger of the matching rings and Jack's hands in his. He slipped the new shiny ring over Jack's left ring finger. It made an odd contrast to the steel one on his right. That metal worn and dull while the new one shimmered like it had been forged only hours ago.

"-until we meet again in Hades. By the river Styx, I give my vow," Rhys finished, as he placed the ring on Jack's finger.

Jack took his turn reciting the same words, while Rhys held his hand as still as possible. Every camera in the room zoomed in on Jack placing the smaller of the matched rings around his left ring finger.

"By the power vested in me by the intergalactic council, I now pronounce you, paired spouses."

Rhys leaned up and kissed Jack, only remembering afterward he was supposed to wait to be told to do it. In the end it didn't seem to matter, because the gathered crowd lapsed into applause. The dignitaries in the front restrained themselves to polite clapping, but there were a few whoops and cheers from the back rows full of Hyperion employees.

The final step was signing the marriage certificate. Rhys went first, leaning over the small podium and picking up the eagle feather pen all Athenian royal documents were signed with. He found the place for his name and scribbled down his signature.

Then the doors of the wedding chamber exploded.

Charred shrapnel rained down like snow. The flower arrangements by the entrance caught fire and spread the flames to the red carpet in the aisle. The large metal doors hung uselessly by their hinges, a large hole blasted between them

From the flames two figures emerged. Glowing blue tattoos making them unmistakable even through the lingering smoke.

"I object on the grounds that Jack is a complete dick-bag!" Lilith shouted.

"I think that part of the ceremony has long since passed," Maya pointed out.

"I know, I just really wanted to say that."

Around them, the ceremony attendees had started to react. Those important enough to have personal security staff were being escorted into sheltered areas. Everyone who was present who had licence to carry weapons on Helios digistricted them into existence and pointed them at whatever they considered the biggest threat at the moment. Which nine times out of ten, seemed to be the two sirens.

Rhys felt a firm hand on his shoulder, and Jack gently pushed him aside. He took the pen from Rhys and scribbled down his signature. He glanced over at Mr. Blake and gestured to the certificate, indicating the place where it needed to be signed by witnesses.

Blake hesitated, unwilling to take his eyes off the siren threat in the room. Handsome Jack cleared his throat, and Blake quickly revaluated who he should be more scared of and jogged over to add his signature.

Jack tucked Rhys behind him and tapped his wrists. Light blue digistuct code enveloped his hands and formed into two identical arm cannons with large yellow wrist guards.

"Lilly, you made it! I must say, you're a little tardy, but I guess better late than never, huh?" Jack asked. He jumped the steps down to the aisle. Panels in the floor slid back and digistructing units' popped out, and began to spawn combat-enabled loader bots.

"I always knew you Bandits were stupid, but attacking me on my own freakign station? That's practically assisted suicide!"

Lilith tossed her hair and flipped him the middle fingers on both her hands.

"We'll see about that Jackass, you don't have your precious Eridian war machine to protect you here!"

Jack laughed, his mismatched eyes lighting up with pure delight.

"Oh, I missed you too, babe. I don't need the warrior to kill you, but it would be pretty funny seeing it blast you to bits after all you went through charging that key for me. Thanks again for that, by the way."

Rhys jolted as someone grabbed him from behind. He spun around, but it was only Sasha holding his arm. She tilted her head towards the side door. Most of the guests were filing out in a very disorderly manner, with lots of elbowing and shoving, while Jack and the vault hunters traded insults.

He wanted to stay. Maybe there was something he could do, or some way he could help Jack, but a larger part of him knew he would only be a target when the fighting really started. He met eyes with Fiona and Vaughn. They were all waiting for him.

They made a brake for the nearest door together. Rhys half expected gunshots to follow them out, but the sirens didn't pay them any mind.

Jack made a little gesture over his head and the loader bots that had spawned while he was talking jerked into action.

"Kill them!" he ordered, lowering his wrists and firing two shots of pure electric energy. The sirens leapt out of the way, and the impact sent rows of vacated chairs flying. Lilith countered with a handful of fire but a loader bot got between her and Jack and it took the hit on its shoulder. It retaliated with a flurry of gunfire but the sirens were too fast to be caught by it.

Sasha held on to Rhys, who held on to Fiona, who was holding onto Vaughn as the four pushed their way through the crowd and out into the halls of Helios. Once outside Fiona and Sasha took a moment to hike up their long skirts and fasten the fabric in place with the decorative ribbon around their hips.

Sasha snapped her fingers and the digistrcting unit strapped to her thigh summoned her favorite submachine gun. A legendary Atlas silver that had been given to her by the captain of the royal guard.

"So what now?" Fiona asked.

Down the other end of the hallway a cluster of yellow suited Hyperion soldiers were shooting at what looked like empty air.

Then out of nowhere one of the helmeted guard's head detached itself from the rest of his body and went flying. A blue katana appeared, dripping with fresh blood, then the rest of a humanoid figure in a gray suit and a helmet with a huge black visor. "Well, not that way," Sasha decided. The vault hunter stabbed a second soldier through the chest as Sasha sprinted off in the opposite direction, her four companions close on her heals.

They had only made it another hundred metres before they hit another dead end. A girl about Rhys' age, with a cybernetic arm to match, was facing down twenty loader bots. One of which was apparently lacking its legs.

Then the red painted robot in question summoned a set of two foot-long claws and proceeded to rip the electronic insides out of the nearest loader bot, making it clear whose side it was on.

Sasha backtracked and led them down another adjoining hallway.

"How many vault hunters do you think there are?" Rhys asked.

"All of them. This attack is a last ditch effort and the more of them there are, the more chances they have to kill you or Jack, it's simple probability," Vaughn pointed out.

Rhys felt a twinge of worry on Jack's behalf. Did he even know it was more than the two sirens that had invaded his space station? For that matter, how had all these vault hunters managed to get on-board Helios without him knowing? And on the day when security was at it's highest because of the influx of guests.

"Your majesty over here!"

Rhys turned to see a Hyperion soldier waving to him, a large panel in what looked like a perfectly normal section of wall hung open behind him. Rhys slowed and stopped, but Sasha walked ten more steps before she realized he was no longer following her.

Sasha was clearly less than pleased Rhys was electing to follow some random Hyperion soldier before her, but she had to realize she had no idea where she was going. Rhys had been on Helios for two months and even he didn't know where exactly they were right now.

The four Athenians stepped inside the darkened passageway and the panel slid closed behind them. The soldier who had motioned them over nodded and gestured for them to follow him.

* * *

 

Rhys may have never witnessed war first hand, but he knew a field hospital when he saw it. Two rows of open cots with standard white sheets stretched down the length of the rectangular chamber. Doctors in white lab coats milled around, drifting from bed to bed. But despite the battle raging around them, they didn't have that many patients to tend to.

Apparently the chances of surviving an encounter with a Vault Hunter at all was staggeringly low, information that was doing precious little to sooth Rhys' nerves as he waited with his friends for news on how Jack and his forces were fairing.

Rhys tried to remind himself this was Handsome Jack he was worried about. He had survived and thrived on one of the most dangerous planets in the galaxy and he probably wasn't going to kick the bucket now, especially not on his home turf. But the Vault Hunters weren't stupid either, despite how little Jack thought of them. The operation they had pulled off in Delphi had been no small feat. Just the fact they were still alive despite Jack's best efforts was impressive in its own right.

One hour soon became two, and Rhys took to pacing from one side of the infirmary to the other, trying to focus on anything but what might be happening above them. Every once in a while new injured soldiers would trickle in, and Rhys tried to ask those who were still able to hold a conversation if they knew how Jack was doing. But so far none of them had a definitive answer, only speculation or rumors.

Vaughn tried to distract Rhys with conversation but the prince brushed him off every time he tried. He was too caught up in his worrying to do anything else.

Then finally, Rhys heard an oh-so familiar voice growling out orders from beyond the main doors of the infirmary. He hurried over, but the medical staff pushed passed him and clustered around the two men who had just arrived.

Mr. Blake had one arm wrapped around Jack's hips, supporting his CEO bodily while Jack leaned on his shoulder. Jack seemed to be in the middle of a very long list of instructions regarding what actions he wanted to be taken next. Blake was nodding along, presumably committing all of them to memory.

Jack's suitcoat was burned badly around the sleeves and his right arm cannon had been crushed, the wide steel barrel crumpled in the middle like a tin can. His was cradling his side where the singe marks were most concentrated. His chest, hands, and masked face were coated with blood, some leaking from gashes in his skin and others probably not from him at all.

One of the doctors stepped forward, but Jack grit his teeth and glared at him until he backed off.

"I'm fine, just get me a fricking insta-health," He spat.

The doctors scattered like butterflies after a stiff breeze, but only one of them managed to get the deep red syringe to Jack first. He handed it over and Jack paused to flick off the cap and plunge the needle into his left wrist. He hissed under his breath as the liquid entered his veins, kicking his own natural healing processes into overdrive.

Jack straitened up and released Blake, who gingerly stepped away from his boss now he was no longer needed.

Rhys approached carefully, every nerve screaming to tackle-hug his husband. He didn't know the extent of Jack's injuries and didn't want to accidently hurt him more than he was already.

Then Jack spotted Rhys and shoved aside two of the by-standing doctors to close the gap between them. He snatched up the Prince in his arms, staining Rhys' white tunic red with the blood he was covered in.

"Ja-K!" Rhys gasped. Jack pressed their foreheads together and hugged Rhys so tight his chest ached. Blue and green eyes closed as Jack took several deep breaths. It reminded Rhys of a lion after a long hunt, panting heavily over its pray now that the ordeal was finally over with.

"They told me you were safe, but I needed to see it. If anything had happened I-" Jack cut himself off, unable to think of anything that would come close to matching his thirst for vengeance.

"You are never going to leave my sight again, do you hear me? When I turned around and saw you were gone I thought for sure one of them had you," Jack whispered. Rage permeated his deceptively calm tone like the electricity in the air before a thunderstorm.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't want to get in your way. You could have gotten hurt protecting me," Rhys stammered.

Rhys' fingers found the part of Jack's suit that had been burned away. He must have taken the full impact from a fireball right to his torso. Rhys couldn't even imagine how painful it was.

Jack hissed and Rhys pulled his hand back, holding Jack around the shoulders instead.

"Did Lilith do this?" Rhys asked.

"Stupid lucky shot."

"And now she's?"

"Escaped. All of them. They had access to Helios' fast travel network and used it to piss-off to Elpis."

"Fuck…" Rhys hissed. When he had been thinking of this as some desperate final stand, he had at least had the hope that this would be the last time the vault hunters attacked him and his loved ones. But even after this, nothing had changed. They had wounded his husband, endangered his friends, and left.

"We can't let them get away with this."

"Oh, believe me Rhysie, they won't. As soon as I find whoever's responsible for giving them access to my fast travel network, they are going to wish they never even heard the name Handsome Jack."

Jack kissed him and Rhys pressed back against him with everything he had. Relief crashing over him again as his lips and tongue verified that Jack really was here and more-or-less in one piece.

"I'm sorry bandits ruined your special day, princess," Jack murmured when they broke apart again.

"Yeah well, at least they had the courtesy to show up so fashionably late that they couldn't ruin everything."

Rhys held up his left hand and fanned his fingers out to show off his wedding ring. Jack grinned and pressed his hand against Rhys' so their matching rings clicked together softly.

"Speaking of wedding shit, I haven't told the catering staff if we're rescheduling the reception or not. Most of our guests have already left."

Rhys nodded, he hadn't expected any different. Had he been attending and Vault Hunters had just broken in, he would have left as quickly as possible too.

"I doubt most of them would be caught dead on Helios after that mess. So we might as well go ahead."

Rhys absently brushed some soot from Jacks shoulder. Id the party was going to go on, they were both going to need new outfits as soon as possible.

"Are you sure you're going to be up for it?" Rhys asked.

"Me? pfffsh, of course. Just give me like an hour and I'll be good as new. But, if we're going to celebrate anyway, I sure as hell wouldn't say no to some whisky."

Rhys smiled and shook his head. Jack must have had a tank someplace in his ancestry to be this indomitable. He could only be thankful for it though. The more he thought about it the more he realized how awful things could have turned out. Rhys wasn't sure he could have survived losing Jack so soon after his father.

Better to not think about it.


	6. The Bear and the Two Travelers

 

> I love you.
> 
> -The Password for Control Core Angel

The wedding reception was a whirlwind of events, people, food, and noise.

If you gave Rhys a pile of pictures from the event even the day after, he wouldn't have been able to put them in chronological order. Each memory was crystal clear on its own, but they failed to fit together coherently and might have contained more than a passing amount of fiction.

A lot could be said of the Athenians, but even their most bitter rivals would admit they really knew how to throw a feast.

Dionysus held full sway over the twenty-one planets tonight, and every citizen would fall prey to his madness in one form or another. Helios was running live ECHO-net broadcasts to and from the city centers, so everyone could feel united despite the massive distances between them.

At first the attention was suffocating, but three glasses of wine in and Rhys had long forgotten about all the eyes on him. Jack did most of the talking that was required anyway, and when he needed people to speak about him, he had plenty of Hyperion higher ups with prepared speeches.

If Jack's injuries still hurt, it didn't show at all. If anything, the fight earlier that day had energized him and now Rhys was the one having trouble keeping up.

Right now, Rhys was watching the events unfold from his seat at the head table. So far he had survived, pre-dinner drinks, appetizers, five courses of food, mid-dinner speeches, and two different desserts.

All that was left now was dancing, and time for everyone who was planning on getting shitfaced to do just that.

Rhys was watching the dancefloor being set up by a small crew of loader bots. There was a DJ table with the Hyperion logo, at least seven smoke machines, and various lighting effects from strobe lights to lasers.

A hand touched his shoulder and Rhys looked up to see his husband standing over him.

"They're waiting on us. You ready?"

"Not really." Rhys admitted. His legs ached from the running and the pacing he had done today, while the food and the wine were making him sleepy and a little tipsy.

Nevertheless, he took Jack's other hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. He leaned on the shoulder of a suit jacket that was perfectly Identical to the one that had been burned up by Lilith. The fact that a second one had been made just in case, was proof of how well Jack's tailor knew him and his proclivities.

"Wait, you actually know how to dance, right? Like, formally dance?" Rhys asked, realizing he forgot to confirm this with Jack months ago when they could have done something about it.

"Yeah, dhu. Of course I can. This isn't my first wedding."

Rhys nodded, he had almost forgotten about the two ex-wives that had showed up in the record check for their marriage certificate. The first had died when Jack was in his early twenties, the second went missing and was declared legally dead around his mid-thirties.

Jack didn't like to talk about it, so Rhys never asked, but the implications painted a very sad story, and one that added credence to Jack's protective streak.

When they were only a few steps away from the dancefloor, the large off-grey surface suddenly lit up. The panels that had at first looked to be nothing more than glass, were actually segmented pieces of a huge screen.

It took Rhys a moment to place the vast expanse of stars that was being displayed, but then he spotted Pandora off to one side, with Elpis flanking it and Helios in-between. The image was moving too. If you watched for a moment, you could see the planet turn in sync with its moon.

Jack's arm wrapped around Rhys' waist, and the prince suddenly realized they hadn't agreed on what dance they were going to do yet.

Warm lips pressed over his before he could ask. Jack found Rhys' left hand with his free one and entwined their fingers.

A sharp tug and Rhys was pulled onto the floor, the smooth glass surface reducing the traction from the soles of his dress shoes.

The lights turned down on cue, so the primary source of light in the room came from the whole of Pandora's local star field stretched out underneath them.

Clusters of guests who had chosen to stay, and the higher ranking Hyperion employees who had earned an invite, watched them from the sidelines. While cameras hovered overhead with blinking red recording lights.

Rhys focused on Jack. If he wanted to avoid being pulled along like a rag doll, he would need to stay in sync with him. The music swelled around them, flooding out of hidden speakers and over Helios' PA system. Rhys didn't know the song, but it had a good beat to follow.

Jack led Rhys around by the hips. He tugged the way he was going to step a moment before he moved, so Rhys could keep in step. They moved from one side of the dancefloor to the other and back again, and Rhys was silently grateful he was high enough up the social ladder that formal dance training was mandatory, otherwise he would have fucked up royally by now.

Not having to look at his feet was also a plus, since the starlight from below them suited Jack and it was more interesting to look at him. Shadow and light played on his mask, making his eyes seem darker and his confident smirk just that bit more dangerous.

Jack spun Rhys, sweeping him off his feet and around in a full circle before reuniting him with the floor again. Rhys' stomach lurched, the alcohol in his bloodstream and his over-full tummy objecting strongly to the sudden introduction of dizziness.

Rhys groaned and rested his head on Jack's shoulder.

"Jack, no spinning..."

"Had a little too much to drink there?"

"Ugh… not sure. How do you tell when your drunk?"

"If you have to ask babe, you're not there yet."

Jack dropped the pace a bit, and took smaller steps so Rhys could stay pressed up against him. To the onlookers, it would seem as if he was simply enjoying an amorous moment with his husband, and not just thinking about the possible damage vomiting on the screen/dancefloor hybrid might cause.

"You know; after this we could sneak out without anyone noticing," Jack suggested.

Rhys doubted that. People would notice, but they certainly wouldn't say anything, much less be able to do anything about it.

"Sounds good, but I should tell my friends I'm leaving so they don't wait up."

"I'dunno, can't see them anywhere, Cupcake. Maybe they already went to bed."

Rhys lifted his head a bit and scanned the room. It took a moment to check all the corners but he eventually came to the same conclusion Jack had. Actually, now he thought about it, he hadn't seen Fiona, Vaughn or Sasha since they were sitting on his side of the head table. How had he not noticed that?

Jack must have felt Rhys tense up in his arms because he added, "Relax, they can't have gone far. They probably just wanted to give you and I some space."

That made some kind of sense. Sasha probably didn't want to spend the whole night watching him hanging off Jack's arm, and Fiona and Vaughn went to keep her company.

Still, it would have been nice if they had said goodbye.

The song changed and more couples came to join Rhys and Jack on the dancefloor. Once there was enough of a crowd, Jack guided Rhys toward the edge and off the side of the star field.

* * *

 

Jack's apartment really felt like home at this point. Just walking into the familiar space took a weight off Rhys shoulders. He pulled his wrap off his shoulders and dumped the whole cumbersome pile of fabric on the nearest couch before following Jack up the spiral staircase to their shared bedroom.

"How you feeling?" Jack asked.

"Tired, everything today just feels like one big crazy dream."

"Well, this dream isn't over yet."

Rhys paused in the doorway. There was a black wooden box sitting on his side of the bed. He put it together with the wolfish grin Jack was giving him, and he had a good guess about what must be inside.

He had been so distracted by everything, he had forgotten Jack's extracurricular plans for tonight. Rhys didn't quite understand why Jack had insisted on saving that one particular act for tonight. Although, it definitely wasn't for religious reasons. Maybe it was just for the hell of it? Two months wouldn't have been that long to wait regardless.

Rhys sat down on the side of the bed and pulled the box into his lap. Jack nodded, indicating he was permitted to open it.

Inside was a collar. It was smooth metal along the outside and padded on the inside, just like the one Jack had threatened Lilith with. But this one was smaller, more streamlined, and painted black with a streak of glowing yellow.

Shape-wise it was more like his training collar, and would sit the same way around his neck. Only missing the buckle, since this one wasn't meant to come off.

"Congratulations, Pumpkin. You earned it," Jack purred, as he reached over to take it from Rhys' hands and stand in front of him.

"On your Knees."

Rhys obeyed and slipped off the bed and onto the floor.

"Who do you belong to?"

"You, Master."

Jack stroked back Rhys' bangs with his fingers, petting him gingerly.

"I think you know my rules well enough now that I don't have to remind you. So let's just skip to the important bit."

Jack pressed his fingertips against the side of the collar, it lit up in response and clicked softly as the electromagnetic lock popped open. From the look of it, there was probably more tec stuffed into this collar then in Rhys' cybernetic arm.

"Before I put this on you, Rhys. I need you to do two things for me. One, ask me to collar you, and Two, swear that you will be loyal to me above anyone or anything else."

Rhys swallowed, his heart was making a decent attempt at shattering his ribcage from the inside. His brain seemed to cease most of its functions whenever Jack slipped into his dominate behavior, making it hard to think straight. Fortunately, it also made it easier to say things that would have made sober Rhys die of embarrassment.

"Master, please collar me. I want to be yours forever."

Rhys lifted a hand and Jack gave him a nod to indicate it was okay for him to touch.

Rhys wrapped his arms around Jack's hips and pressed his cheek against his Master's stomach.

"I promise I'll do whatever you tell me, I…" Rhys shut his mouth so fast his teeth clicked. But then, after a second more to think about it, he realized how stupid it was to hold back at this point. Jack was his husband after all. What did he have to lose by saying it out loud?

"I love you…" Rhys murmured, his body going slack as the words sunk in.

"Mmm, I love you to, kiddo."

Jack reached down and snapped the collar closed around Rhys' neck. The prince's grip tightening around his hips as he felt the familiar pressure against his skin.

Rhys hadn't worn his training collar since his friends had arrived two days ago, and he hadn't realized how much he had missed it. Wearing his devotion to Jack around his neck made him feel loved and protected in a way words couldn't quite match.

Jack pulled away and Rhys whined his disapproval.

"Shhhh, babe, I know. Finish taking your robes off and I'll be with you in a moment, okay?"

Rhys found his way back to their bed and pulled his tunic over his head. Jack had tried to convince him to wear a garter belt under it, but Rhys had managed to change the topic before he gave into that particular request.

Last but not least, he slipped off his fitted underwear and sat with his legs tucked under him, which he knew from experience was Jack's preferred posture.

When Jack returned, he had lost all three top layers, and gained a small band around his wrist. It was black and yellow just like Rhys' collar, and lit up when Jack touched the buttons on the side.

"I made that collar just for you. So it's got a few special features. Wanna see?"

Rhys meant to nod, but pain hit him first. Quick and sharp like a static shock, but coming from the collar around his neck. He cried out and tried to grab the collar, but his right hand didn't respond.

Jack lifted the arm with the wristband, and Rhys' cybernetic arm moved with him. Jack stuck up his pointer and middle finger, and like a mirror, Rhys' did the same.

"Cool, huh? I figured out how to overwrite the signals your arm uses wirelessly. Only works at close range, but I'm sure that won't be a problem."

Jack touched his own cheek with his right hand, and Rhys' did the same. He felt his own fingers stroke his jaw, but when he wasn't directing them it felt completely alien.

Rhys didn't like it, he could feel his chest tightening with panic over losing a function of his body, and having someone else controlling it instead made it even worse.

Then Jack moved both their hands to their necks, and the sinking feeling morphed into fear.

"J-Jack..."

Rhys' protest was lost as his metal fingers tightened around his windpipe. The pressure didn't seem to be a direct one-to-one correlation, because Jack showed no signs of discomfort as Rhys tried to gasp through his constricted windpipe.

It was no use, his cybernetic hand was too strong, and there wasn't a way to pull away from a part of his own body. Rhys slumped down onto his back on the bed, and mercifully, Jack released his grip.

Rhys lay panting heavily, his neck still throbbing where his fingers had dug into his skin.

"You know, on second thought, this might be a little too much for you right now…" Jack decided. He touched his bracelet again and the lights on the side went dim.

Rhys felt control of his right arm return to him and he curled up into a ball on the bed. His back towards Jack.

"I'm sorry, pumpkin. I guess I got a little over excited there."

A large calloused hand touched the back of Rhys' shoulder and ran down the curve of his body to his hips. The prince didn't react.

"Come here, let your handsome husband kiss it better…"

Jack leaned over Rhys and pressed his masked lips against the side of Rhys' neck. He trailed kisses down the prince's side from his shoulder to his forearm then his hips.

Eventually Rhys gave into the softer touches and rolled onto his back. Jack hopped up onto the bed with the nimbleness of a cat, and pinned Rhys down by his shoulders with one hand while the other traced over Rhys' tummy then down between his legs.

"Not feeling it yet, huh? That's fine, just relax and think about how good it's going to feel once I'm inside you."

"Jack, I…"

A low growl came from the older man and Rhys shut his mouth mid-sentence and tried again.

"Yes, Master."

Rhys closed his eyes as Jack gently stroked his cock. Trying to let his guard back down again. It was fine. He was fine. Jack had noticed he didn't like it, he had stopped, and now they were doing something else.

But Jack had built that feature into his collar. He could use it any time he wanted, and he had made it pretty clear he intended to do it again.

Rhys' anxiety eventually melted as lust finally stepped in to distract him. When Jack took his hand away his cock was standing at full attention, ready for whatever came next.

Jack reached over Rhys' head to the side table and opened the top drawer.

"Any preference for lube types? I've got some warming stuff, chocolate flavor, stuff that makes your dick tingle-" Jack paused and pulled out a simple black bottle. "Scratch that. We should probably just stick to silicone-based for your first time."

He took Rhys' right wrist and poured a generous amount of the clear liquid into Rhys' hand, then rubbed it in so it coated his metallic fingers.

"Go ahead and get yourself ready for me. It will be easier if you set your own pace."

Rhys swallowed. He had never done this before, but it couldn't be that hard to figure out. He dug his shoulder into the mattress, lifted his hips up to get a better angle, and spread his legs.

Rhys glanced up and saw Jack watching him intently. His heartrate jumped as he realized Jack was going to see everything he was about to do to himself, but he couldn't watch him back and still stay focused. So instead, Rhys stared out the huge window and out at the stars beyond. The real thing this time, not just an image on a screen.

The first one went in easily enough, his cybernetic fingers were thicker than his human ones but for this, it was probably better. The second clicked against the first and hurt just a bit, but the third wasn't going in at all.

Rhys huffed in frustration, but to matter how he twisted it just wasn't working.

"No, no, no, no. You're not doing it right at all. You need to... actually, here's an idea. Let me help you."

Jack reached for the bracelet around his wrist and turned it back on, ripping control of Rhys' right arm away from him again.

"Master, please don't-"

Jack either didn't hear him or didn't care. The fingers inside Rhys began to move, puppeted by Jack as he started to thrust them in and out in slow steady strokes.

Rhys moaned, this did feel a lot better than how he had been doing it. He tried to focus on that and not how helpless he felt without his limb. Jack drove Rhys' own fingers in to the knuckle and his fingertips hit a spot that made Rhys shutter in pleasure.

"There we go; it just takes a little technique," Jack said with a smirk. "You know, I could make you cum just by doing this. Maybe if you're really good, I'll show you one day."

Jack made a gesture like a peace sign with his fingers and the ones inside Rhys stretched him open. The unyielding cybernetics overpowering any resistance his body put up.

Rhys held back a sob as a third finger slipped in easily, now he was loosened up by Jack's teasing. The stretch felt good, so did having his ass played with. Even the pain was starting to take on a different quality that overpowered the normal urge to escape from it.

Jack tapped his wrist and Rhys gained control over his arm again.

"Let's see…. How do I want to fuck you?" Jack mused. Rhys lay on his back, panting and gazing up at his husband with a cocktail mix of fear, desire, and acquiescence.

"Eh. Nothing wrong with the classics. Let's go Doggy style. Hands and elbows Rhys, hold your ass up nice and high for me, 'kay?"

Rhys pulled his fingers out and took up the desired position. His legs quivered a bit as he leaned his weight onto his elbows. All too aware of how he must look from Jack's position.

The sound of a zipper unfastening, the click of the top of the lube bottle being opened, then fingers curled around the top of Rhys' hipbones.

"Take deep breaths, I'm told it helps," Jack purred.

Rhys tried to relax, counting his inhales in his head.

_One…. Two…. Thr-_

Jack grabbed a fistful of Rhys' hair as he thrust in, making Rhys take every inch in one fluid movement. Jack pulled sharply on the brown strands when Rhys made the inevitable hurt whimpers.

"Enjoy that pain while it lasts. We'll be doing this often enough that you'll forget it even took getting used to."

Jack started slow and shallow, only moving a few inches back before slamming in again. Now that the moment was over and Jack really was inside him, it was easier for Rhys to relax.

Slow morphed into fast, then into faster, and Rhys had to dig his elbows into the mattress to hold himself stable.

"Your posture sucks. Remind me to make you work on it."

Rhys grit his teeth, managed to choke out a "yes, master…"

Jack let go of Rhys' hair and reached under the prince, pulling him backwards and into his lap. Rhys was partially sitting on Jack's thighs as his husband thrust up into him.

"There we go, nice and deep. I bet you can feel that all the way up to your stomach, can't you babe?"

Rhys only reply was a moan as Jack bounced him on his lap. Taking full advantage of Rhys' skinny 18-year-old frame to manhandle him into the perfect position.

Jack reached around Rhys hips to his cock and closed his hand around it.

"I can tell you're close. Cuz if your ass gets any tighter you just might brake something we're both goanna miss," Jack murmured close to Rhys ear. "Since this is our wedding night, I'm feeling generous. So why don't you go ahead?"

Jack's grip around him tightened and Rhys gasped. He didn't want to finish just yet though, there was one thing missing that he desperately wanted while Jack was still inside him.

The position made it awkward but he managed to twist his head and shoulders enough so he could lean up and kiss Jack. It was short but sweet and hot, easily beating out their kiss at the altar for the best he'd had all day.

Rhys moaned against Jack's lips as he came, Jack made sure most of it ended up on Rhys' own chest and tummy.

Jack wrapped Rhys up in a tight hug, holding him still as he continued fucking the Prince through his own orgasm.

When he finished, Jack pulled out and pushed Rhys off his lap. Rhys landed on his side on the plush comforter, the inside of his thighs felt sticky, and fatigue was settling fast now that his adrenaline had been fully spent.

Jack landed beside Rhys on the bed, and Rhys rolled over so he could rest his head on Jack's chest.

"Got to say Rhys, that's definitely the best time I've had deflowering someone. And you were so brave! You didn't even cry," Jack said, slipping an arm behind the prince's back.

Rhys wasn't quite sure if Jack was being serious so he decided to ignore that.

He curled in closer to Jack and his excess of body heat, but even though every part of him felt heavy and ready to sleep like a stone, he couldn't settle the anxiety eating away at the back of his mind. Eventually, Rhys realized he wouldn't be able to sleep unless he brought it up.

"M-master…?"

Jack grunted and opened his eyes. Pulled back from the edge of sleep by Rhys question.

"Master, I don't really like it when you control my arm like that."

"Huh? That's kind of surprising, don't you trust me, Babe? What are you scared might happen?

"I…. of course I trust you! And… ah, nothing really, I just… it just feels weird."

"Well, maybe if I do it more it will stop feeling weird. Just think of it as another thing you need to get used to."

Rhys swallowed. There didn't seem to be any way to keep arguing with Jack without upsetting him or undermining the bond they had built.

"Yeah, maybe…" Rhys murmured.

Jack rubbed Rhys along his bare back and shoulders, soothing the anxious prince.

"Even though you have your collar, there's still a lot left for you to learn. Fully giving into the will of another person can be hard, but you know how rewarding it can be," Jack said.

Jack tilted Rhys' chin up till they made eye contact.

"Be a good boy, do what I tell you and what you know I expect of you. Make me proud to own you, and I'll reward you handsomely for it."

Jack smirked at his pun and Rhys faked a smile to match it.

"Thank you, Master."

* * *

 

"Wakey, wakey, princess. We have a problem."

"Ugh… j-Jack?"

Rhys rolled onto his back and brought up the internal clock on his ECHO eye. It was three in the morning Helios time and only four hours since he had fallen asleep in Jack's arms.

Jack clapped his hands and the lights in their bedroom flickered on. Rhys gazed up at his husband, who was fully dressed in his usual attire with a pair of freshly digistructed arm cannons to match.

Rhys hadn't felt Jack leave the bed or heard him get dressed, and by the look of him, Jack had been up and moving for a few hours.

"Time to rise and shine. We caught the mole that helped our Vault Hunter friends sneak aboard Helios," Jack said.

"We did?"

Rhys sat up on the bed and rubbed his eyes. That was fast, though knowing how tight security was on Helios, he shouldn't have been surprised.

"Well, that's good. But… Why do I have to get up?"

"You'll see when we get there. I thought about dealing with them myself. But since it was our wedding, I think it's only fair you get to have your say too."

Rhys made a face. He hated having to dispense justice, but it did unfortunately come with the job description. He rolled out of bed, wondering if Jack would let him shower before coming with him.

* * *

 

The Helios prison block was located directly below Jack's office and three floors down from his penthouse. It seemed like an odd location, since it took up a large chunk of prime real-estate. But the central location also cut down on prisoner transport time, so Rhys could see why Jack had built it that way.

Half an army of Helios guards were standing around the entrance. Jack walked right passed them, leading Rhys by the elbow. At first Rhys thought they were going to the cell blocks, but then Jack took a sharp right turn and stepped inside a room labeled 'security office'. Inside a single Hyperion guard was sitting in front of a bank of monitors. Each displaying a different camera feed from inside the prison.

"Jack?" Rhys asked.

Jack sighed and put his arm around Rhys' hips, holding him protectively in a half hug.

"There's no nice way to brake this news to you, kiddo. I just wanted you to have a moment to collect yourself before you have to face them."

Rhys was about to ask Jack what the hell he was talking about, but Jack addressed the guard in front of the monitors first.

"Bring up the live feed from cells 34, 35, and 36."

The biggest of the monitors flickered and the three camera feeds appeared side by side. The cells were small, with only a single narrow bench for the occupants to sit on, and a Hyperion logo embossed force shield covering the one wall that wasn't made of solid metal.

But Rhys only saw who was in those cells. From left to right he registered all three of his childhood friends. Sasha, Fiona, and Vaughn.

"What are they doing in there? You told me we were going to see whoever let the Vault Hunters onto Helios."

Rhys stared at Jack, but Jack simply stared back at him, pity in his mixed eyes, waiting for the anvil to drop.

"No… you-you're fucking with me. How could my friends have anything to do with it? They don't even know the Vault Hunters, and they were with me for the entire day!"

"Not all of them. Lovely little Sasha only joined you right before the ceremony, 'member? You want to see what she was doing right before then?"

No Rhys didn't want to see, he didn't want to know. But he didn't have a choice, and even in that moment he was starting to have doubts.

"Roll the recovered recording. Rhys needs to see it for himself," Jack ordered.

Rhys stood rooted to the spot as he watched. The new image taking over from the three live camera feeds.

Sasha in her white dress kneeled beside one of the Hyperion fast travel stations. The back panel was open, and she had a small device in her hands that she was hastily wiring into the circuitry. Her ECHO communicator was on the floor, and she periodically spoke to it as she worked on the station.

The audio was muted and the feed was playing on fast forward. According to the timestamp, it had taken Sasha ten minutes to complete the install. She was crazy lucky no one had walked past and caught her working on it.

She left the station and the footage sped up, half an hour passed then the station sparked. Lilith appeared in a cloud of white data, then the rest of the Vault Hunters followed one after the other.

"We almost lost this footage. It was shuffled into the deletion queue, along with the recordings of every camera facing a fast travel station on Helios. So if it makes you feel better, she's not stupid. She's Just a traitor who wants us dead."

Rhys felt numb. The pain would come later, but for now he felt suspended. Stuck between what he thought his world was, and this alien new reality that was staring him right in the face.

"We caught the other two trying to help her sneak off station. So we put them all into custody until I could get you down here," Jack explained.

Rhys closed his eyes. He wished they had been successful, at least then he wouldn't have to face them. Jack squeezed Rhys around his middle, but it felt more suffocating them comforting.

"You don't have to talk to them if you don't want to." Jack offered.

"No. I need to know why."

"I get that. Just be prepared, there might be no good answers for you to find."

Jack nodded and led Rhys back out into the hallway and towards the cell block. Once they reached the door, Jack paused and placed his hands on the prince's shoulders.

"Listen Rhys, I know exactly what you're feeling right now. I've had my fair share of friends turn their back on me, and it always happened just like this. When you least expect it, and right when it could cause the most damage. But you're stronger than this, alright? This is when you stand back up, brush yourself off, get your revenge, and move on."

Rhys stared down at his feet. He didn't want revenge. All he wanted was for this not to be happening at all.

"Thanks, Jack."

"Take all the time you need, alright? I'll be here waiting for you when you're done."

Rhys stepped through the doors and walked down the line of cells until he found the three occupied ones. He kept his eyes down as he pressed the buttons beside all three of the cells. He was not going to talk to his friends through a shield.

Vaughn stepped out first then Fiona followed, if Sasha had noticed the shield go down she didn't take advantage of it.

"Uh… hi," Vaughn said, attempting to brake the silence however awkwardly.

"Hey…"

"Did Jack show you the recording?" Fiona asked

"Yes, he did. Is… is it true?"

Rhys knew it was a stupid question, But he needed to hear it from Fiona before he would really believe it.

"Yeah."

Rhys' shoulders slumped and he stared at the floor.

"Rhys I'm so sorry-" Vaughn began before Rhys cut him off.

"Don't be. I'm glad you guys tried to help her. I just wish you had told me."

Bitter laughter came from the third cell and Sasha finally stepped out. Her dress was torn in several places and a shield was pinned to her hip. She must have tried to fight her way off of Helios and had probably taken down a fair share of loader bots in the process.

"Come on Rhys, Why would they? You haven't listened to a fucking thing any of us have said for months." Sasha said.

Rhys couldn't even look at her. Much less meet her eyes.

"I-I just need to know. Why did you do it?"

"Why?! Rhys, I did it to protect you. To protect our city, our empire! Didn't you notice how none of the Vault Hunters ever tried to attack you? They were on our side."

"Our side? They almost killed Jack!"

"That was the point. Since you refused to listen, killing him was the only way I could get you away from him. All Jack's ever wanted was to use you as a pawn in his messed up game of chess, and you keep falling for it. He killed your father to make you vulnerable, swooped in to play hero, tricked you into thinking he cares about you, and then he isolated you so his would be the only voice you had to listen to."

Rhys' mouth hung open, Awestruck by this revisionist history Sasha had cooked up.

"He's been hurting you hasn't he?" Sasha asked shooting her sister a glare. "Fiona won't admit it, but she thinks so too. Whenever she suggested you talk to him about leaving, you kept avoiding the topic, and anytime you talk about disagreeing with him you get stressed out."

"Sasha, stop," Rhys said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fine, I'll stop. But only if you can look me in the eyes and tell me that the Rhys standing in front of me right now doesn't have more scars then the one who left Athens two months ago."

Rhys flinched. Hyper-aware of the marks on his shoulder. Jack was fond of that spot for punishments and had sliced it open twice since Rhys had mistakenly entered his office. Sasha saw his reaction and her hand tightened into fists against her hips. His silence as good as confirmation.

"You don't understand…" Rhys began.

"And what is that thing around your neck? Is he making you wear that?"

Rhys hand snapped up to his collar. He had completely forgotten he was wearing it, but even if he had remembered, he couldn't have taken it off. Under other circumstances he might have tried to explain, to make Sasha understand he had chosen to wear it. But anything he said at this point would just fuel her commitment to this crazy narrative.

"How do you know the Vault Hunters weren't just using you to get revenge on Jack?" Rhys asked. "I'm guessing they told you some overblown story about a superweapon he supposedly has, and that if you didn't help kill him, he was going to take over the whole galaxy? -And since you were so determined to find a reason to hate Jack, you just trusted them?"

It was Sasha's turn to be taken aback, her hands dropped from her hips and she was avoiding his eyes now.

"I know because they told me that exact same pile of bull when they attacked Delphi. Hyperion makes all kinds of weapons, and lots of them use Eridian technology. Any one of their projects could be considered a superweapon. This whole Eridian warrior story is just an excuse so the vault hunters can feel like big damn heroes when they're really just low-life bandits out to make another corpse to loot."

Sasha grit her teeth and shook her head sadly at Rhys.

"God, you even sound like Jack. He really has mind-controlled you, hasn't he?" she asked.

"Jack didn't do anything to me, and I don't need to be saved. You didn't do this for me, or for Athens, or the empire. You did it because you wanted to be some big hero, defeat an evil overlord, and justify your stupid vendetta against Jack."

"That's really what you think then? That's what you think of me Rhys, after all we've been through together? You're going to throw us away for some guy you met three months ago."

Vaughn and Fiona had been standing silently through most of this. Caught in the middle between their two friends. Whatever their opinions were, it was overshadowed by Rhys and Sasha tearing into one another.

"Well, I don't have any choice now. I can't just hand-wave treason. Everyone saw the attack on our wedding and they're going to want answers." Rhys said.

Rhys groaned and buried his face in his hands. He had to find a way to do something. Vaughn and Fiona could be pardoned since they hadn't technically done anything, and their involvement could be left out of any news reports. But it would be small comfort if Sasha was sent to prison, or worse, if the galactic council pushed for an execution.

It wasn't just Jack she had put in danger, all the leaders and dignitaries who were present would want a say on how justice was served and depending on the culture, death might be considered the only form of recompense.

"I'm going to talk to Jack and see if there anything I can do," Rhys decided.

"You're going to beg him for forgiveness on our behalf? How noble. Try not to choke on his dick while you're at it," Sasha spat.

Rhys grit his teeth and for half a second he entertained the thought of just leaving Sasha to her fate. She had dug her own grave, and maybe he should just let her die in it. But he knew he would never forgive himself for it if he did.

Sasha was right about one thing, if he had come home when he was supposed to, or maybe made more of an effort to talk to her, things would never have escalated this far. He made her feel like she had no other choice and the Vault Hunters had taken advantage of that to manipulate her into joining them.

Jack was waiting just outside the cell block when Rhys returned to him. They walked halfway down the hall together in silence until they were far enough away that they couldn't be overheard. Rhys used the time to find a place where he could start to make his argument.

"Jack… I'd like for them to be tried in Athens, not on Helios. They're my citizens-"

"Our citizens," Jack corrected, cutting Rhys off. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at Rhys with a mix of frustration and pity on his face. "Kiddo, I get it; this is really hard for you. But clinging to the past is not the answer. Sasha made her choice, and nothing is going to put the pieces back together. Just say the word and I can deal with this for you. You'll never have to even think about your traitorous friends again."

"N-no!" Rhys cried, just the idea of never seeing his friends again after this cutting into him deeply. "Please Jack. I just want them to come home with me. Whatever needs to be done can be done there."

Jack shook his head. "I really don't know. Those bandits she let in blew up parts of my station, killed a whole lot of my staff, and made Helios's security look like a joke in front of the whole universe."

"But Sasha only played a part in getting them here. She didn't kill anyone herself. She's an accessory at the very most-"

"She's a traitor Rhys. To both of us, to our empire."

Rhys flinched and stared down at his feet. Jack was right, he knew Jack was right. No amount of diplomacy was going to fix this, and talking was the only thing he was really good at. Well, talking and one other thing…

"Please Jack, as a favor to me? This is my fault too, and if she's executed for it, I don't think I could live with myself."

Rhys met Jack's eyes, and dropped his shoulders, falling into the submissive body language he usually used when asking for affection from his Master. Rhys licked his bottom lip, hearing Sasha's voice in his head reminding him not to choke.

"Tch… Fine, they can return to Athens, but only under Hyperion guard." Jack decided. He reached over and slipped his fingers into the gap between Rhys' throat and his collar. "Your innocence is adorable; it reminds me of myself when I was younger. But one of these days you're going to have to grow up and see the universe for what it really is."

"Y-yeah, I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back when I was writing the first chapter of this fic, a friend of mine was like "Oh cool you're including all the tales characters in this." And I replied with; "yeah, of course. Rhys has to have friends before Jack can tear them away from him."
> 
> heh~


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